Philippines Ombudsman to Create Dedicated Anti-Graft Reporting Channel for Investors
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippine Office of the Ombudsman will create an Investment Ombudsman, a dedicated channel for local and foreign investors to report bribery demands, permit delays, and regulatory abuse by public officials.
- •Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla's first year in office centered on investigations into the flood control corruption scandal, which has led to 39 cases filed in court.
- •Remulla said the agency's next phase will prioritize recovering stolen public funds, describing a shift from a first year focused on accountability to a second year focused on recovery.
- •The Ombudsman tied eliminating graft to lower business expenses, stronger investor confidence, and job creation, noting that extortion drives investors away.
- •No official timeline has been set for when the new anti-graft reporting channel will begin accepting complaints.
The Philippines' top anti-graft official announced on Monday that his office will establish a dedicated reporting channel allowing local and foreign investors to report corruption and regulatory abuse by public officials.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla outlined upcoming reforms following his inaugural year in office, saying his first twelve months were dominated by sweeping investigations into the flood control corruption scandal, which has resulted in 39 cases filed in court.
He said the next year will focus on recovering stolen public funds and dismantling corrupt practices that stifle economic expansion, noting that extortion drives investors away.
"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," Mr. Remulla said during a livestreamed event.
"Accountability was the focus of our first year. Recovery will be the focus of the next," he said, adding that removing graft will help lower business expenses and generate employment.
The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent constitutional body mandated to investigate and prosecute government officials accused of wrongdoing. Mr. Remulla was sworn in as Ombudsman by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in October last year. Prior to his appointment, he served as secretary of the Department of Justice.
For investors big or small, local or foreign, the proposal would turn that constitutional mandate into a direct service: a single dedicated entry point for complaints about bribe demands, officials sitting on permits, and regulators overstepping their authority — the same practices Mr. Remulla has tied to higher business costs and slower job creation. It would also give concrete form to the pivot he described between a first year centered on investigations and a second year focused on recovery.
The Ombudsman has yet to specify an official expected timeline for the new anti-graft channel, leaving open when it will begin accepting reports.
— Erika Mae P. Sinaking
Source: BusinessWorld
