Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Office of the Ombudsman main building. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Ombudsman

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758697080122cropped-Screen Shot 2025-09-24 at 2.54.16 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Office of the Ombudsman main building. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman was grilled on Wednesday over its efforts against alleged corruption in flood control projects, as the House plenary deliberated on its proposed 2026 budget on Wednesday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/ombudsman-orders-preventive-suspension-of-16-dpwh-personnel-1032">Ombudsman suspends 16 DPWH personnel in Bulacan over flood control mess</a></div><p>House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio asked whether the Office of the Ombudsman was &quot;sleeping&quot; amid the revelations on the flood control mess.</p><p>“Since at least 2018 ay may P15 billion na pondo ang Ombudsman kontra sa corruption… Sa harap ng napakatinding, napakalaganap, walang kapantay na level ng corruption na nasasasksihan natin sa flood control... Ang tanong lang ng taumbayan, anyare?! Nasaan ang Ombudsman? Bakit natutulog sa pancitan?” Tinio said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/ombudsman-should-be-more-proactive-on-corruption-rumors-lawmaker-says-1812">Ombudsman should be more proactive on corruption rumors, lawmaker says</a></div><p>But the Office of the Ombudsman asserted it is looking into the matter “discreetly.&quot;</p><p>“They are handling a lot of fact-finding investigations now, given the situation as of date. They do fact finding investigations also discreetly,” the Office of the Ombudsman’s budget sponsor at the lower chamber, Quezon 4th District Representative Keith Micah Tan replied.</p><p>“Wow, so may mga discreet investigations pala ang Ombudsman, na sa sobrang discreet parang wala yatang nakakaalam,” Tinio commented.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>INVESTIGATIVE PANELS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Office of the Ombudsman created nine panels to investigate alleged anomalous flood control projects around the country. It has so far preventively suspended 16 personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways.</p><p>“Three panels are focused here in Luzon, three panels focused in Visayas and three panels in Mindanao. They are currently investigating the ongoing flood control issue,” Tan said.</p><p>The Office of the Ombudsman also opened a fact-finding investigation into reports that a construction firm linked to Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana’s wife bagged government flood control projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/24/ombudsman-opens-probe-into-coa-commissioner-contractor-wife-1047">Ombudsman opens probe into COA commissioner, &#x27;contractor&#x27; wife</a></div><p>“As far as I am able to divulge, they are currently investigating, ongoing fact-finding investigation, regarding the case of COA Commissioner Lipana,” Tan disclosed during the House plenary session on Wednesday.</p><p>Marilou Laurio-Lipana, the wife of the COA Commissioner, is the president and general manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Philippines Corporation, according to several documents from the DPWH.</p><p>Former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara claimed in his sworn affidavit that Lipana asked for a list of flood control projects in Bulacan in 2022, and supposedly inserted projects amounting to P500 million in 2023, P400 million in 2024, and P500 million in 2025. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>LIFESTYLE CHECK</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Office of the Ombudsman is conducting a lifestyle check on Alcantara and some personnel from DPWH district engineering offices implicated in the flood control mess, as part of its investigation, according to Tan.</p><p>“Ginawan po ba ng lifestyle check ‘yung DPWH district engineers office, ‘yung kina Alcantara?” Tinio asked.</p><p>“Yes, as part of their investigation,” Tan replied.</p><p>Tinio and ML Party List Representative Leila De Lima questioned the directive of former Ombudsman Samuel Martires in 2020 to stop lifestyle checks.</p><p>But Tan said it did not stop, despite that directive.</p><p>“The conduct of lifestyle checks did not stop,” he told the House plenary.</p><p>“Notwithstanding the directive of the former Ombudsman Martires?” De Lima asked.</p><p>“They still assess the conduct of lifestyle checks. If there is an anonymous tip, they validate the tip if there’s a lead. But as much as posisble, they don’t want a fishing expedition to happen,” Tan replied.</p><div> </div><div><strong>SALN POLICY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Tinio also urged the Office of the Ombudsman to overturn Martires’ Memorandum Circular limiting access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to the public official who filed the SALN or his/her authorized representative, a court, which issued a lawful order or the Ombudsman’s field investigation units, bureaus or offices.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/2/if-chosen-as-ombudsman-remulla-vows-to-overturn-martires-circular-on-saln-1440">If chosen as Ombudsman, Remulla vows to overturn Martires’ circular on SALN</a></div><p>Tan said it remains a “standing policy”, and the Office of the Ombudsman leaves the decision to the incoming Ombudsman whether to change that policy.</p><p> “It’s a standing policy as of now. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, they are awaiting for the appointment of the new Ombudsman if he will retain or change the policy,” he explained.</p><p>The House of Representatives terminated on Wednesday its plenary debates on the proposed 2026 budget for the Office of the Ombudsman, the Judiciary, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Games and Amusement Board, and the Philippine Sports Commission.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTz8aDj5HNQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl1daHU6e7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EccqX2FNNW0?&amp;t=71s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman was grilled on Wednesday over its efforts against alleged corruption in flood control projects, as the House plenary deliberated on its proposed 2026 budget on Wednesday.</p>

The Office of the Ombudsman was grilled on Wednesday over its efforts against alleged corruption in flood control projects, as the House plenary deliberated on its proposed 2026 budget on Wednesday.

'Anyare?': Office of the Ombudsman grilled over 'sleepy' efforts vs corruption

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'Anyare?': Office of the Ombudsman grilled over 'sleepy' efforts vs corruption

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 24, 2025 02:59 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 24, 2025 03:00 PM PHT

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Ombudsman

SALN

politics

corruption

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