Ombudsman wants CIF cut to P1 million from P51 million

MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Samuel Martires has asked Congress to reduce his office’s confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) allocation to just P1 million instead of the regular P51-million budget for 2024 and 2025.

“Consistent with my earlier pronouncement on the matter, I would like to officially request that notwithstanding its investigative functions, that the Office of the Ombudsman be appropriated P1 million for its CIF until the end of my term of office,” Martires said in two identical letters both dated Oct. 6.

One of the letters was addressed to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizady Co, who chairs the House committee on appropriations. The other was addressed to Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on finance.

The anti-graft office has a P51-million CIF allocation under the proposed 2024 national budget.

Martires’ formal request was consistent with his earlier offer to forgo the CIF of his office, during the House and Senate deliberations on the Office of the Ombudsman’s P5-billion proposed budget for next year.

“If it will only taint the reputation of the ombudsman and its office, I am willing that this be scratched. I think we can survive without confidential funds,” Martires has said in response to a question from Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III during the Senate budget hearing last September.

“I would like to be the first from the investigating agencies to request that from Congress. We will not have confidential funds during [the rest of] my term of office,” Martires added.

His seven-year term will end in August 2025.

Martires’ request to slash the CIF allocation of the ombudsman came following the House’s decision to remove P1.23 billion in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President, Departments of Education, Information and Communications Technology, Agriculture as well as Foreign Affairs.