Several lawmakers in the House of Representatives have expressed support for giving the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) additional funding to investigate those involved in the anomalous flood control project.

House Committee on Appropriations vice chairperson Brian Poe said they support the added budget after raising concerns that the Ombudsman has yet to allocate funds for the newly formed special panel of prosecutors tasked to investigate the irregular projects.

“Because the panel was formed only recently, this September, I’m sure it’s not yet in the 2026 budget. So, if we could look into how much they need, we can show that Congress is supportive of this investigation and supportive of the efforts of our President and the Ombudsman,” Poe said during the budget hearing Tuesday.

Committee Chairperson Mikaela Suansing added that the Ombudsman will play a crucial role in making the panel effective, which is why they are willing to insert additional funding for the agency next year.

“And I know that will entail additional work, additional responsibilities on the part of the OMB. We want to make sure that we’re able to factor that in. There’s still time to include that in our proposal for fiscal year 2026. Again, we would need the help of the OMB to guide us so we’ll know what needs to be added,” Suansing said.

The Ombudsman is asking for P6.23 billion under the 2026 National Expenditure Program.