Ombudsman Continues Lifestyle Checks Amid Controversy Over Corruption Probes

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Philippines remains active in conducting lifestyle checks despite a previous order issued in 2020 by retired Ombudsman Samuel Martires to halt such investigations.

During the plenary budget deliberations held on September 24, Quezon Representative Keith Tan, who sponsors the Ombudsman’s budget, confirmed that lifestyle checks continue, but only when there is a credible anonymous tip. "According to the Office of the Ombudsman, they still assess the conduct of lifestyle checks if there’s an anonymous tip, they validate if there’s a lead but as much as possible, they don"t want a fishing expedition to happen," Tan explained. He further added, "Some of them file anonymous tips but they have no lead, so they don"t have anything to base on to conduct the lifestyle check."

Meanwhile, Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima expressed approval of the ongoing lifestyle checks. She criticized Martires" stance describing the suspension order as "illogical," and warned the Ombudsman to prepare for more cases amid the unfolding flood control scandal.

Questions over the agency"s investigative performance were raised by Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio. Citing budget allocations, he highlighted that from 2018 to 2025, the Ombudsman had been granted P10.4 billion for anti-corruption and enforcement programs, alongside P245.7 million in confidential funds from 2016 to 2025. For 2026, requested funding includes P1.5 billion for investigations and P51.4 million allotted for confidential expenses.

Tinio questioned how the Ombudsman failed to act decisively against widespread corruption allegations in flood control projects despite ample resources. He stated, "The question of our fellow Filipinos amid the severe, widespread, and unprecedented level of corruption in flood control projects is, ‘What happened? What did the Ombudsman do?’"

In response, Tan emphasized that the Ombudsman is conducting discreet fact-finding probes to avoid premature disclosures and interference. He said, "The Ombudsman prefers discreet investigations so that their inquiries are not preempted or prejudged."

He also mentioned that nine investigative panels—three each in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—have been formed to examine the alleged irregularities involving infrastructure projects. These probes run parallel to inquiries by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and various congressional committees, which have linked several legislators to the alleged corruption.