‘Who’s liable for budget billions?’
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Monday urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate public officials who may be held liable for the billions of pesos in national budget allocations that were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, as Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced plans to create a team to monitor budget proceedings and study the SC’s ruling.
Magalong called for an investigation into the P449.5-billion increase in Unprogrammed Appropriations in the 2024 national budget, the P17.99-billion increase in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund in the 2025 budget, and provisions of the 2026 budget that were recently struck down by the SC.
He also urged the Commission on Audit (CoA) to conduct a comprehensive special audit of the invalidated allocations and examine disbursements linked to the questioned provisions.
“We must treat public funds carefully,” said Magalong during the flag-raising ceremony at Baguio City Hall.
“We owe Filipino taxpayers the whole truth,” he added, stressing that investigations must follow due process and rely on the evidence, and that officials found liable must be held accountable under existing laws.
Remulla, meanwhile, said he would form a team to study the SC ruling and the national budgets involved, as his office begins monitoring budget proceedings.
The SC declared unconstitutional the increases made by Congress to the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Acts, as well as specific provisions of the 2026 budget. It also ruled that while the doctrine of operative fact applies, it does not shield the authors, proponents, or implementers of the invalidated provisions from criminal, civil, or administrative liability.
Asked whether the ruling could expose President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to liability, Remulla said the changes in question took place in Congress.
“The President just submits the proposed bill to Congress, and the action takes place in Congress,” Remulla said, adding that tracking the changes could be difficult because lawmakers operate on their own timelines, particularly those seeking to add or remove budget provisions.
Remulla made the remarks as he joined the SC, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Justice in signing a memorandum of understanding under the Justice Sector Coordinating Council to strengthen the fight against corruption.
More flood control cases eyed
Remulla also said the Ombudsman was conducting fact-finding and preliminary investigations into more irregular flood control projects, with cases to be filed in court once sufficient evidence has been gathered.
“There are many ongoing fact-finding investigations and many ongoing preliminary investigations,” he said.
Asked by DAILY TRIBUNE when the next batch of cases would be filed, Remulla declined to give a timeline, saying prosecutors would proceed once investigators had gathered sufficient evidence to support charges.
He did not identify the projects or individuals who could face charges in the next round of cases.