By The House appropriations committee on Monday approved the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed ₱5.05-billion budget for 2024.
Throughout the hearing, the office repeatedly said it is “perfectly okay” with the allocation from the budget department.
“For our budget, I’d like to inform the body that we are contented with what the Department of Budget and Management offered to us, although it is below what we have asked,” Martires said
The proposal is ₱1.67 billion less than the ₱6.7 billion that the office initially requested.
Martires also said the agency will continue to cut on expenses for 2024.
Some plans listed by the office include merging the fact-finding investigation group and preliminary investigation group and hiring more lawyers to open satellite offices in provinces.
Ombudsman ‘under attack’
Before the budget presentation, Martires said the Ombudsman is currently “under attack from some sectors” due to their decision to dismiss some big officials that he did not name.
“Hindi namin mapapangako na (We cannot promise that) we can satisfy everyone as, right now, the Ombudsman is under attack from some sectors, saying that we should not have removed from the service an honest person,” Martires said.
“Ang isa pong tao na matino, isang tao na honest, ay di nangangahulugan na hindi siya nag vi-violate ng batas. Hindi rin po nangangahulugan na ang isang taong gobyerno na maraming accomplishments ay hindi nag violate ng batas,” he added.
[Translation: A person who is proper, a person who is honest, does not mean that he did not violate the law. It also does not mean that a government person with many accomplishments did not violate the law.]
Martires said the argument used against the office for removing officials is “dangerous” as it means all dismissed officials should be reinstated.