OMB's mandate: Reestablish government's moral authority

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.

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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.