THE Office of the Ombudsman has so far filed 39 cases in relation with the massive corruption tied to the flood control bribery scandal, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday as he marked his first anniversary as head of the OMB.
Remulla said 35 of the cases are now with the Sandiganbayan while four were filed before different regional trial courts. From these, 52 individuals, including “one sitting senator, one former senator, four congressmen including a former speaker, one former secretary and 33 DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) employees, eight contractors and other private individuals” have been charged for their supposed involvement.
“Some are already in custody and some are still wanted,” he said in Filipino as he delivered his first annual report.
Among them are former speaker Martin Romualdez and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who are facing separate plunder charges in connection with the flood control controversy. They are detained at the New Quezon City Jail following the filing of the cases.
Former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co remains on the run abroad.
“The cases are already in court. We have done the hardest part: building them. The next chapter belongs to our courts,” Remulla said.
“We expect our courts to be what the Constitution asks of them: impartial, independent, and attuned to the times. And we hope they will see the power they hold, the power to interpret the law so that it works against those who plunder, not as a shield for them,” he added.
Remulla also announced the creation of an Investment Ombudsman which is aimed at protecting businesses from corruption, eliminating bribery in government transactions, and inviting investments.
The initiative comes as the Office of the Ombudsman ramps up corruption prevention.
“We will create an Investment Ombudsman. It will be a dedicated channel where investors, big or small, local or foreign, can report any public official who demands a bribe, sits on a permit, or abuses regulatory power, and know that this office will act,” Remulla said.
Pointing out that corruption drives away investors, raises business costs, and deprives Filipinos of employment opportunities, Remulla said the proposed office would provide local and foreign investors with a dedicated channel to report public officials who demand bribes, deliberately delay permits, or abuse their regulatory authority.
“Investors who are asked for bribes will not return. And the jobs they’re supposed to bring will not materialize either,” he said in Filipino.
“Corruption does not only steal from the treasury. It steals from the economy,” he added.
Remulla also announced plans to convene the Philippine Regulatory Summit in 2027, bringing together regulators from various industries to identify regulatory gaps, overlapping functions, and procedures vulnerable to bribery and abuse. The summit will also explore digitization to reduce human discretion in government transactions, particularly in issuing permits and regulatory approvals.
“When the system makes the decisions instead of people, there is no one left to bribe,” Remulla said.
“If under-the-table payments are eliminated, costs will go down. When costs go down, prices will drop, businesses will multiply, and jobs will increase,” he added.
