MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman is pressing the House of Representatives for access to the statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) of lawmakers under investigation for alleged anomalies in flood control projects, after being told that such access requires plenary approval.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said he plans to write to Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III to clarify the procedures for obtaining SALNs of House members implicated in the alleged massive corruption.

“Lately, our teams are having a hard time getting the SALNs of congressmen we are investigating… I’ve been told that it has to pass through plenary for them to release a SALN, and I don’t buy that excuse,” Remulla said.

He expressed frustration over what he described as unnecessary delays, noting that swift access is crucial given the public interest in the flood control projects allegedly affected by corruption.

“I do not understand why they stonewall or give us a hard time,” he added.

Remulla also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, pointing out that some officials in the Office of the House Secretary General previously worked for lawmakers now under investigation.

“We’re just harboring suspicions that they may be protecting people, and I don’t want to believe it. Hopefully, they stop doing that because this is a very urgent matter for the country,” he said.

The Ombudsman’s office is pursuing the investigation as part of its mandate to ensure accountability in the use of public funds for infrastructure projects.