Marilyn Cahatol

The Office of the Ombudsman. Quezon City. February 19, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman plans to digitalize its operations to fast-track processes, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.</p><p>“We’re going full pace for digitization of the Office of the Ombudsman so that they can maybe be paperless in a certain amount of time… we just noticed that we are way behind digitizing the style of management here from basic communications and case management… that’s one of the problems that we have,” Remulla said.</p><p>He noted that cases often take time to be transmitted because documents are still sent through traditional mail.</p><p>“If a case is filed in the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao, it takes quite a while for the case to be transmitted here because it’s by snail mail… walang digital option na available,” he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/20/ombudsman-coordinates-with-gordon-s-team-on-pharmally-cases-2031">Ombudsman coordinates with Gordon’s team on Pharmally cases</a></div><p>The Ombudsman added that addressing these inefficiencies is important as delays in case handling have led to massive financial losses for the government.</p><p>“I got word that the government lost close to P600 billion in cases because of inordinate delays,” he said.</p><p>Remulla also plans to publish new rules to shorten the duration of preliminary investigations, which usually take up to a year.</p><p>“Ang PI (preliminary investigation), umaabot ng 1-year allowable under the rules dito. We will change it also. Ang gusto namin 60 days tapos ang PI… ang fact-finding, 60 days,” he said.</p><p>Remulla earlier said that cases involving flood control projects are expected to be filed before the Sandiganbayan in November.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/20/ombudsman-to-begin-preliminary-investigation-into-6-flood-control-projects-1858">Ombudsman to begin preliminary investigation into 6 flood control projects</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES</strong></div><p>Remulla also wants to form a team dedicated to environmental protection due to recent floods that exposed inadequate accountability among local officials.</p><p>“We also want to return the environmental ombudsman. And that will come very soon. In the meantime, I might assign the assistant ombudsman to handle that, ombudsman for the environment,” he said.</p><p>“The floods also show us how bad things are. And the environment is the issue there. And local governments are not doing their job in handling garbage and trash and recycling them,” he added</p><div> </div><div><strong>SUBPOENAS ISSUED</strong></div><p>The Ombudsman also announced that subpoenas have been issued to those involved in the allegedly anomalous project in Oriental Mindoro.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/9/9/dizon-finds-substandard-unimplemented-flood-control-projects-in-oriental-mindoro-2113">Dizon finds substandard, unimplemented flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro</a></div><p>Individuals behind the project, including Sunwest Inc. owned by Zaldy Co, were given 10 days to submit their counter-affidavits.</p><p>Subpoenas related to the<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/14/doj-refers-5-bulacan-ghost-project-investigations-to-ombudsman-1358"> five alleged ghost projects </a>in Bulacan, which were investigated by the Department of Justice, are expected to be released on Thursday.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wPIqcf7ztLU?si=nYnuhu7mURmPGGq9" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman plans to digitalize its operations to fast-track processes, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.</p>

The Office of the Ombudsman plans to digitalize its operations to fast-track processes, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

Ombudsman seeks to cut case delays with digitalization

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Ombudsman seeks to cut case delays with digitalization

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 21, 2025 07:26 PM PHT

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Ombudsman

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flood control

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