The appointment of former Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the new Ombudsman comes at a time when public outrage has reached a boiling point over revelations of massive graft in public works projects. The scale of alleged corruption—running into billions of pesos in ghost projects, overpricing, and collusive contracting—exposes a system that has become brazenly unaccountable. For an administration that has vowed to uphold transparency and good governance, these disclosures cut deep into its moral authority.

The Ombudsman’s office stands as the Republic’s last institutional defense against abuse of power. It is vested with constitutional independence to investigate, prosecute, and discipline erring officials—without fear or favor. The new Ombudsman’s mandate, therefore, is not merely administrative; it is moral and civic. He must demonstrate that justice still serves the public, not the powerful.

The task before the new Ombudsman is formidable. He inherits an office that must not only act decisively on mounting cases of corruption but also reawaken public faith that truth and accountability can prevail in a climate of political complicity. The people expect no less than fearless, impartial, and transparent action—especially when wrongdoing leads to the plunder of infrastructure funds meant to uplift communities and spur economic recovery.

Every road unbuilt, every bridge unfinished, every drainage project delayed because of corruption deepens the suffering of ordinary citizens. The theft of public works money is a theft of opportunity and dignity.

The new Ombudsman must, therefore, move swiftly to coordinate with the Commission on Audit, the Department of Justice, and Congress to close loopholes that allow systemic graft to thrive. Equally vital is the protection of whistleblowers and reform of procurement systems that often serve as conduits for corruption.

The public clearly expects that the new Ombudsman will be more resolute and decisive in instilling a culture of good governance. His announcement that the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of all government officials, including those of the President and the Vice President, will be made available to the public has been greeted with rousing applause. This signals a new era of openness and transparency. In so doing, he nullified the policy that unmistakably slammed the door on efforts to ascertain the possible commission of graft and corruption by public officials.

This is subject only to data privacy limitations to ensure that disclosures in the SALN will not be "weaponized" by those who are requesting access. Moreover, his plan to reinstate the presence of a resident Ombudsman in every government agency to ensure checks and balances is a vast improvement on the lack of transparency in the previous administration. He is also expected to look into allegations of massive money laundering committed by senior government officials that could have been swept under the rug by their perpetrators who have since left the public service.

The credibility of the Marcos administration — and the projection of the country’s image to the rest of the world — now rests in part on the integrity and resolve of the new Ombudsman.

In Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index Report, which is based on research on what causes corruption and what works against it, the Philippines ranked sixth and seventh among nine ASEAN member-countries at number 114, in a tie with Laos. Singapore was number 3; Malaysia, 57; Vietnam, 88; Indonesia, 99; and Thailand, 107. The country was ahead of Cambodia, 158; and Myanmar, 168. Indeed, much work needs to be done to raise the bar of governance quality, and the Office of the Ombudsman bears tremendous responsibility in bringing this to fruition.

If the Office of the Ombudsman succeeds in asserting independence and exacting accountability, it will redeem public trust in the rule of law as the cornerstone of Philippine democracy. By raising the bar of ethical behavior in the civil service, it will provide robust affirmation that, indeed, public office is a public trust.