Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

The Office of the Ombudsman. Quezon City. February 19, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781769388303Screen Shot 2026-06-18 at 3.56.14 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The Office of the Ombudsman. Quezon City. February 19, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman was urged to reconsider its June 2 dismissal of plunder, technical malversation, and graft complaints against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and former Philhealth chief Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. over the P60 billion transfer of PhilHealth reserve funds to the national treasury.Rodel Taton, one of the complainants in the dismissed case, returned to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday to file a motion for reconsideration after the graft-busting body ruled that the complaints lacked prima facie evidence to warrant a certainty of conviction.Taton said the complaints should have been allowed to proceed for further evaluation. He argued that the evidentiary threshold at the preliminary investigation stage is lower than that required in a trial.He also cited the doctrine of “mala prohibita,” noting that technical malversation is punished not because of the respondents’ intent or motive, but because the law prohibits the act itself. “There is an error in finding that there is a need for prima facie evidence of certainty in the case. And we are saying that in a case of technical malversation… it&#x27;s a mala prohibita case… this is not immoral per se, but it is illegal because the law defines it as a crime,” Taton told reporters in an ambush interview.He also asked the Ombudsman to consider the “full picture” of Recto’s roles as former Finance Secretary and former congressman, citing an alleged increase in infrastructure spending for projects in his former district in Lipa City, Batangas, from P50 million in 2023 to P3.6 billion in 2024.“If we look at the transparency portal of the DPWH, we can look into the margin from the time that he was the congressman of his district up to the time that he became a Department of Finance Secretary. Ang difference from million to billion, 7,100 percent increase for the district… this is really something that should be looked into not only by the Office of the Ombudsman but of course, the courts later on,” Taton said.Taton maintained that the Ombudsman also erred in dismissing graft and plunder charges for perceived lack of corrupt intent or personal enrichment, saying the circumstances showed gross negligence.The complaint earlier alleged that Recto signed Department of Finance (DOF) Circular No. 003-2024, which directed the remittance of P89.9 billion in PhilHealth excess reserve funds to back the unprogrammed appropriations under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).PhilHealth remitted P60 billion in three tranches before the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order and declared the transfer void on December 3, 2025.However, the Ombudsman said it found no sufficient basis to establish bad faith, corrupt motive, or manifest partiality on Recto’s part.Recto previously said he merely performed his &quot;legal and ministerial duty&quot; to operationalize the guidelines under the 2024 GAA, which he said was presumed constitutional at the time.The Executive Secretary also asserted that &quot;mere movement of public funds does not, by itself, constitute plunder” and said there is no proof that the funds were transferred to him. Recto reiterated Thursday that he was only doing his job as chief fundraiser of the national government.“That’s their prerogative. The decision of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court justices have been consistent. I only implemented the law passed by congress at that time after consulting and securing favorable opinions from COA, OGCC, and their respective boards among others,” Recto said in a message.“I was no longer a congressman in (20)24. I was finance secretary. Am not aware of any unprogram funds for Lipa, or flood control projects.  What I know are well-built school buildings, government centers and bypass roads which are continuing projects,” he added.<div> </div><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6qQDVk5rRmY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

Rodel Taton, one of the complainants in the dismissed case, returned to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday to file a motion for reconsideration after the graft-busting body ruled that the complaints lacked prima facie evidence to warrant a certainty of conviction.

Rodel Taton, one of the complainants in the dismissed case, returned to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday to file a motion for reconsideration after the graft-busting body ruled that the complaints lacked prima facie evidence to warrant a certainty of conviction.

Ombudsman urged to reverse dismissal of plunder, other raps vs Recto over Philheath fund transfer

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Ombudsman urged to reverse dismissal of plunder, other raps vs Recto over Philheath fund transfer

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 18, 2026 04:01 PM PHT

|

Updated June 18, 2026 04:03 PM PHT

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Ombudsman

Recto

Ledesma

plunder

graft

motion for reconsideration

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