Bilang tugon sa hamon ni Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, sinabi ni Ombudsman Samuel Martires na handa nitong isuko ang hinihiling na ₱51 milyong confidential funds ng kanyang tanggapan para sa 2024.
Ayon sa Ombudsman, kung mababahiran ang pangalan ng kanyang tanggapan, walang isyu kung mawawalan sila ng confidential funds sa susunod na taon.
“If it will only taint the reputation of the Office and of the Ombudsman itself and its officers, I am even willing that this be scrapped,” ani Martires sa pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang budget ng ahensya.
Naunang nagpahayag ng pagtataka si Pimentel nang makitang may confidential fund na kasama sa hinihinging ₱5.05 bilyong budget ng Office of the Ombudsman.
Paliwanag ni Martires, 2005 pa nang magsimulang isama sa item ang confidential fund sa kanilang taunang pondo.
Aniya pa, maaari namang mabuhay ang kanyang tanggapan nang walang tinatanggap na confidential fund.
“As a member of the constitutional group, we have actually wisely spent the budget that is given to us yearly by Congress. On the matter of the confidential fund, I’d like to be the first from the investigating agencies to request Congress that, as I’ve been saying, if it will only taint the reputation, the integrity of the Office as well as of the Ombudsman and his officers, I dare not have a confidential fund during my term of office. I dare not have a confidential fund during my term of office. I think we can survive without the confidential fund,” ani Martires.