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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pangilinan bats for creation of Justice Reform Commission to address widespread corruption

Pangilinan bats for creation of Justice Reform Commission to address widespread corruption

Published Nov 24, 2025 12:41 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said passage of the measure into law would help ease the public's mounting anger over the multi-billion peso flood control corruption scandal, which exposed how stolen public funds and systemic failures in governance resulted to deadly flooding, destruction of homes and loss of livelihood.


Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has called on lawmakers to expedite the passage of Senate Bill No. 1547 or the bill seeking the establishment of the Justice Reform Commission.

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan opposes the proposal of lowering the age of criminal responsibility for heinous crimes, expressing his strong belief that the problem is in the implementation of the law. Pangilinan said the solution to the problem of juvenile delinquencies is not by amending the existing law (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act 9344) but by proper implementation. (Senate PRIB photo)
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan opposes the proposal of lowering the age of criminal responsibility for heinous crimes, expressing his strong belief that the problem is in the implementation of the law. Pangilinan said the solution to the problem of juvenile delinquencies is not by amending the existing law (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act 9344) but by proper implementation. (Senate PRIB photo)

Pangilinan said passage of the measure into law would help ease the public’s mounting anger over the multi-billion peso flood control corruption scandal, which exposed how stolen public funds and systemic failures in governance resulted to deadly flooding, destruction of homes and loss of livelihood.

“Atat na atat na ang taumbayan para sa katarungan. Gusto nilang makulong ang mga may sala, hindi malaya at nagpapakasasa sa kinurakot (The people are crying out for justice. They want the corrupt behind bars, not enjoying their freedom and their stolen billions),”  Pangilinan said.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights also warned that the persistence of high-level corruption and the near-absence of convictions prove that “the justice system has collapsed for ordinary citizens, while working perfectly for the powerful.”

“We will root out why the country’s justice system has massively failed, why the guilty remain free, why cases are delayed to death, and why corruption thrives,” the senator said.

“We must fix this system together as a nation, or watch public trust collapse even further,” he added.

Under the bill, the proposed Commission will conduct a comprehensive investigation of all five pillars of the justice system: law enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, the correctional system, and the community.

The proposed JRC also will identify why cases against public officials drag on, why backlogs multiply, and why accountability repeatedly fails.

The JRC will be composed of members from both houses of Congress and experts from the private sector and academe; it will also have the authority to summon data and documents from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Ombudsman, Philippine National Police (PNP), and Supreme Court (SC).

It will also have the power to examine procedural inefficiencies, study barriers to justice for vulnerable sectors, and recommend fast, actionable reforms.

The proposed Commission will also operate for three (3) years with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) as its research arm.

Under the bill, the Commission will be required to submit periodic reports and a comprehensive reform blueprint to Congress and Malacañang.

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KIKO PANGILINAN Justice Reform Commission
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