THE Office of the Ombudsman has joined the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) to strengthen the government’s fight against corruption, address delays in corruption cases, and improve coordination among justice institutions.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the JSCC, which is composed of the Supreme Court, Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), during a ceremony at the Supreme Court.
“Corruption does not operate within the boundaries of a single government agency. Neither should our response to it,” Remulla said as he pointed to the partnership as a means to bolster coordination in investigation, prosecution, adjudication and enforcement.
“We cannot simply wait for public funds to be stolen, government services to be compromised or public trust to be destroyed before we act,” he said.
Under the agreement, the institutions will work together to remove bottlenecks in corruption cases, improve information-sharing and digital systems, and develop joint initiatives on financial crimes, asset recovery, cyber-enabled corruption and digital forensics.
“I do not want this Memorandum of Understanding to become another document that we sign today and forget tomorrow,” Remulla said. “We must translate this agreement into concrete programs, clear responsibilities, realistic timelines and measurable results.”
Remulla said the partnership will not compromise the Ombudsman’s independence.
“Institutional independence and meaningful cooperation are not contradictory. They reinforce each other,” he said.
