Photo courtesy of House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook.
The House of Representatives has conveyed its readiness to work with the Office of the Ombudsman in its inquiry into alleged budget anomalies linked to former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Assistant Ombudsman Jose Clavano said the earlier refusal to accept a subpoena was due to a misunderstanding, noting that communication lines between the two institutions had since been clarified.
Clavano said House officials had already engaged with the Ombudsman and expressed willingness to cooperate, explaining that the issue arose from confusion on the part of personnel who initially received the legal document.
The Ombudsman had attempted to serve a subpoena to the secretariat of the House committee on appropriations as part of its ongoing investigation into a supposed large scale scheme involving the national budget.
According to Clavano, the process server reported that House staff did not immediately accept the subpoena as they were waiting for legal guidance at the time.
He emphasized that subpoenas issued by the Ombudsman carry legal authority and are expected to be complied with by concerned parties.
The Ombudsman is seeking official records from the House, including minutes of meetings, attendance logs, and transcripts from both the appropriations panel and a smaller committee under review.
Clavano said the case involving the alleged conspiracy remains under fact finding, adding that investigators are gathering documents to determine the extent of any irregularities.
He also noted that there are views within the Ombudsman pointing to Romualdez as having exercised significant control over the committees involved, though the investigation has yet to reach a formal conclusion.