The agency whose job is to watch other officials is now the one being watched. The NBI says its chairman was paid twice for the same trip, and that three colleagues signed off without noticing.
The National Bureau of Investigation on Friday, Oct. 9, filed graft and gross misconduct complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman against Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard Palpal-lotoc and three CHR officials, over a 2025 trip to France that an outside foundation had reportedly paid for in full, according to the Daily Tribune's Jeffrey G. Damicog.
The NBI's Public Corruption Division asked the Ombudsman to conduct a preliminary investigation for violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and for gross misconduct. Also named are CHR officials Maria Teresa Dolor, Onesimo Cuyco and Russel Mani.
What the NBI says happened
Palpal-lotoc spent a month in France in 2025 attending the 54th International Institute of Human Rights Summer School. Per the Tribune, he told NBI investigators that the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) fully funded the training, covering airfare, accommodation, meals and subsistence.
The NBI says he nevertheless charged the CHR a subsistence allowance and representation expenses for the same period. Executive Order No. 77 (series of 2019), it notes, bars representation expenses for officials attending trainings or donor-funded trips, and requires full disclosure of the foreign donor. The disbursement voucher, the NBI says, did not disclose the funding arrangement.
Three signatures, one voucher
The NBI assigns each respondent a link in the chain, as reported by the Tribune:
- Mani certified the supporting documents as complete for release of the voucher.
- Dolor certified that funds were available.
- Cuyco approved the voucher for payment.
The paperwork had other problems, according to the NBI. The program agenda attached came from the 53rd Summer School, held in 2024, while the voucher, travel authority and itinerary listed the 2025 program. The NBI said the voucher "passed through every control point" despite the missing documents, mismatched program records, prohibited claims and undisclosed sponsorship.
That last line is the pointed one. A control point that waves through a 2024 agenda for a 2025 trip is not exercising much control.
What's still unknown
The Tribune's report carries no response from Palpal-lotoc or the other three respondents beyond his earlier statement to the NBI that the FNF funded the training. The report does not state how much money was claimed, and the NBI's complaint is an allegation: the Ombudsman has yet to decide whether to proceed. Whether the allowances were refunded is likewise not reported.
Context
The CHR is a constitutional body whose chairperson routinely calls out abuses by government. Its own officials now face a complaint on the very kind of rules (disclosure, documentation, prohibited expenses) that auditors apply to every agency. The Ombudsman's office, under Jesus Crispin Remulla, has said it will seek the harshest penalties for misuse of government funds, including in small-dollar cases.
Sources
- Daily Tribune, Jeffrey G. Damicog, "NBI files raps vs. Palpal-lotoc, 3 CHR officials," Oct. 10, 2026 — https://tribune.net.ph/2026/10/09/nbi-files-raps-vs-palpal-lotoc-3-chr-officials