Amid the ongoing flood control scandal investigation, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla assures the public that "nobody will go beyond" the 2027 budget proposal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as it is being deliberated in Congress.

In an interview with reporters on Friday, Remulla warned that the Ombudsman will study any changes that it will notice in the 2027 budget proposal of Marcos.

"We prepared a letter to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) already to give us a copy of the president's proposed budget and any changes there, we will notice, we will study and we will make sure that nobody will go beyond what is submitted by the president," he said.

Remulla gave his assurance when asked his warning to the members of Congress who might want to insert projects that could be a source of corruption of government funds.

Last month, the administration announced a proposed P7.2 trillion national budget for 2027 which is six percent or P407 billion higher than the P6.793-trillion budget allocated for 2026.

The proposed budget that has been discussed and approved by the Cabinet is equivalent to 21.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP)

Remulla also mentioned that they are now very close to filing plunder charges against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in his alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.

"We're very close to filing plunder charges but we still have to cross the teas and dot some ice and probably put periods in sentences. That's how close we are. That is why I didn't deliberately talk about that but the cases are just about ready for preliminary investigation," he said.

"When it comes to a case like that it is not as simple as you want it to be, You're talking about layers upon layers of lawyers, people who will defend up to and go to any extent to defend their client... As I said since the first day I took office here we are fighting people who have the best lawyers money can buy," he added. Robina Asido/PHS