Ombudsman keeps ₱51.47-M confidential funds in proposed 2027 budget

Daemien Arkin Batacan

Retaining ₱51.468 million in confidential funds, the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed ₱7.232-billion budget for 2027 cleared the Senate Committee on Finance on September 3 as lawmakers scrutinized the agency’s funding for its investigative functions.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM)-recommended budget is lower than the Ombudsman’s original request of ₱12.797 billion but includes funding for personnel, operations and confidential expenses used to support investigations and other constitutionally mandated functions.

During the Senate budget hearing, Ombudsman Boying Remulla defended the proposed confidential funds, saying the agency has become more aggressive in pursuing investigations and requires resources for activities such as gathering information.

The ₱51.468-million confidential fund allocation is consistent with the amount provided to the Ombudsman in recent budget proposals and appropriations.

In 2026, the Ombudsman was allocated ₱51.468 million for confidential expenses under the General Appropriations Act, following a proposed ₱6.39-billion agency budget. The same amount was also recommended by the DBM for the agency’s 2025 budget.

The agency’s confidential fund allocations, however, have varied in previous years. In 2023, the Ombudsman received ₱31 million in confidential funds, while its allocation dropped to ₱1 million in 2024, according to figures raised during congressional budget deliberations. For 2025, the Ombudsman initially sought ₱115.665 million, although the DBM recommended ₱51.468 million.

For 2027, the Ombudsman originally sought an additional ₱148.532 million in confidential funds, substantially higher than the ₱51.468 million included in the DBM-recommended budget. Agency officials said the funds would support its functions involving investigation, prosecution and graft prevention.

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson JV Ejercito said the committee may consider increasing the confidential fund allocation but stressed that such expenses remain subject to accountability and must be justified for legitimate investigative purposes.