House open to increasing Ombudsman’s budget

Lawmakers expressed readiness yesterday to hike the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed 1.775-billion budger for 2016 as well as its 3-million intelligence fund.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Misamis Occidental Rep. Jorge Almonte, ABAKADA partylist Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz and Misamis Oriental Rep. Henry Oaminal pushed for bigger budget for the Ombudsman given its “heavy workload.”

In defending the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed 1.775 billion budget for 2016, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales appealed for a bigger intelligence fund to ensure the expeditious resolution of graft cases filed at their desk. The Ombudsman originally asked for 5.2 million intelligence fund.

She, however, said that the Palace has yet to approve their request for the 3-million increase in intelligence fund which had been a ceiling set by the Aquino government.

“My predecessors had as much as -million to 20-million intelligence funds. The filing of cases has escalated, the number of respondents have magnified. There was a deluge of complaints filed,” she told the House Committee on Appropriations in justifying her office’s call for bigger intelligence fund.

She said the 3 million intelligence fund was not enough given their enormous work.

“In this ghost month, we discovered a lot of ghost projects, ghost people,” she said.

Carpio-Morales said as of June 2015, they resolved 2,940 cases out of 8,116 criminal and administrative cases pending before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Rodriguez proposed that the Ombudsman should be given an additional 500 million to perform efficiently and effectively as an anti-graft court.

“How come that the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) reduced your budget? We assure you that what you need will be restored. Just give us the details and we will increase your budget,” he said.

Conchita-Morales said they proposed 2.835-billion budget for 2016, but the DBM only approved 1.775 billion.

“We are not recklessly spending our money. We see to it that all complaints are validated,” she said.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said the additional funding can be sourced out from the Office of the Vice President.