Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio took the Office of the Ombudsman to task for supposedly not putting its P15-billion anti-corruption funds to good use, as evidenced by revelations in flood control projects corruption scandal.

"May P15 billion na pinagkatiwala sa inyo, sabi niyo para sa anti-corruption. Ang isang tanong lang po ng taumbayan--anyare? (You were entrusted with P15 billion, you said it was for anti-corruption purposes. One question from the people--what happened?)" Tinio asked during the House plenary debate on the Ombudsman's proposed for 2026 Wednesday, Sept. 24.

"Napaka-tinding at napaka-laganap at walang kapantay na level ng corruption na nasasaksihan natin sa flood control [projects] (We're witnessing very intense, very widespread and unmatched level of corruption in flood control projects)," the Makabayan solon told budget sponsor Quezon 4th district Rep. Keith Micah Tan.

He said the P15-billion budget against corruption have accumulated since 2018.

"Ano’ng ginawa ng Ombudsman? Bakit po ngayon na lumalabas, ilang taon na po na mga opisyal ng DPWH (Department of Public works and Highways) nagka-casino pala, tapos daan-daang milyon ang nilalaro, tinataya at kinatatalo pa sa casino? Mga nagreregaluhan sa isa’t isa ng mga sasakyan, SUV, tig-P10 million regalo lang kay boss? Nakapatong lang sa mga table, sa district engineer’s office mismo, daan-daang milyong piso,nalaman na natin kahapon, ayun para pala ano ‘yon, kickback pala, pinangalanan pa ‘yong mga pulitiko na pagbabayaran,.‘Yong billard table, mahigit kalahating bilyong piso sa isang transaksyon lamang," Tinio said.

(What did the Ombudsman do? Why is it only coming out now, after several years, that DPWH officials were apparently going to casinos, gambling hundreds of millions, placing bets and even losing money there? They were giving each other cars, SUVs, P10 million each as gifts to the boss? Just lying around on tables, right inside the district engineer’s office—hundreds of millions of pesos. We found out yesterday that it was actually for kickbacks. Politicians were even named as the ones to be paid. That billiard table, over half a billion pesos in just one transaction.)

Tinio was referring to claims made by former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara--a key figure in the controversy--during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and in past proceedings of the House Infrastructure Committee (infra comm).

In response, Tan assured the interpellator that the Ombudsman has been performing its mandate--sometimes, "discreetly".

"Mr. Speaker, the Ombudsman is working under a workload of different cases, many of which are from criminal, forfeiture, and criminal cases, at they are the ones also conducting fact-finding investigations. From the Office of the Ombudsman, when they (do a) fact-finding investigation or they present anonymous complaints, they would assess it if it would be frivolous or there is a lead, or if there is cause to proceed with a investigation or a case work-up," Tan said.

"So they are handling a lot of fact-finding investigations now, given the situation we see as of date. So they do fact-finding investigations also discreetly, so as not to interrupt with the ongoing proceedings which can be done here in the House and in the Senate," the budget sponsor said.

Tan said this discreet manner of investigations prevent the preemption of other inquiries as well as the prejudgement of personalities.

Tinio didn't seem satisfied with the sponsor's answer.

"Wow, so may mga discreet investigations pala ang Ombudsman, na sa sobrang discreet parang wala yatang nakaka-alam (Wow, so the Ombudsman is carrying out discreet investigations, there's so discreet nobody knows about them)," he said rather sarcastically.

"Isn’t it fair to say, hanggang ngayon ilang buwan na po itong ongoing flood control scandal, wala pa po tayong naririnig na meron kayong sasampahan na kaso ng sino mang mga opisyal na involved or umamin pa nga na involved sa overpricing, kickback, ghost project, at iba paa?" the militant solon wondered out loud.

(Isn’t it fair to say that, up to now, after several months of this ongoing flood control scandal, we still haven’t heard of any officials being charged despite some even admitting involvement in overpricing, kickbacks, ghost projects, and other issues?)

Tinio's worries notwithstanding, the plenary debate on the Ombudsman's budget was terminated or concluded without incident Wednesday.