A MEASURE creating a separate law-enforcement arm for the Office of the Ombudsman was backed by the Senate on Monday.
The joint hearing of the Committees on Justice and Human Rights, and Ways and Means discussed possible constitutional concerns and amendments for Senate Bill No. 2394, or the Ombudsman Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Powers.
The measure sets up the Ombudsman Marshall Service, acting as independent enforcer of orders and investigations under the Office of the Ombudsman.
The proposed service centralizes the Ombudsman’s execution of directives, protection of witnesses and officials, and monitoring of compliance, Assistant Ombudsman Luis Gonzaga S. Bonoan, Jr. told the committees.
It will include 100 new positions, Mr. Bonoan said. He added that the Ombudsman will need P127.1 million for personnel and P31.9 million for operational casts, which is only about 2% of the Ombudsman’s proposed 2027 budget.
Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said the Senate Committee on Finance had expressed support for the anti-graft body’s additional funding request to create the law-enforcement service.
Principal author and Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr. also suggested granting the Ombudsman contempt powers by statute since the Constitution does not prohibit Congress from extending such powers to a constitutional body. — Francessca S. Abalos