Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

OMBUDSMAN

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176525346930920251009-ombudsman-remulla-MT11_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday bared a “national strategy” for digitalization and an Ombudsman marshal to be a “modern enforcement arm,&quot; among other plans, which the office plans to complete by February 2026.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/8/remulla-vows-to-follow-evidence-after-pcij-report-on-sandro-marcos-romualdez-1050">Remulla vows to &#x27;follow evidence&#x27; after PCIJ report on Sandro Marcos, Romualdez</a></div><p>During the 2025 Sikhay Laban sa Korapsyon (SiLaK) event in Pasig on Tuesday, Remulla stressed the need for reform and not just accountability when it comes to addressing corruption.</p><p>“Accountability corrects the past, but reform secures the future. And we cannot accept anything less,” Remulla said in his keynote address.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/8/ombudsman-eyes-malversation-possible-plunder-rap-vs-bong-revilla-1021">Ombudsman eyes malversation, possible plunder rap vs Bong Revilla</a></div><p>The building of a “fully digital ombudsman” with tamper-proof records and AI-supported verification is part of this strategy mentioned by Remulla.</p><p>“Corruption thrives where data is weak and paper trails disappear. That is why we are building a fully digital Ombudsman… digital forensics, tamper-proof records, AI-supported verification, and secure investigative workflows,” Remulla said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CROWDSOURCING<br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Remulla also stressed the importance of citizen participation in fighting corruption, commending the public’s initiative to “investigate” alongside the Office of the Ombudsman amid the flood control scandal.</p><p>Remulla also called “crowdsourcing” a tool for gathering evidence.</p><p>“Transparency must flow both ways. During the flood scandal, something extraordinary happened. The public started investigating with us. The students analyzed procurement documents. Engineers studied photos. Citizens sent geotagged reports. So our message is simple. The public will see the evidence, and the public must also share their evidence,” Remulla said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/20/remulla-says-romualdez-called-him-to-deny-involvement-with-flood-control-controversy-1735">Remulla says Romualdez called him to deny involvement with flood control controversy</a></div><p>“This is government and citizens fighting corruption together. Crowdsourcing is no longer noise. It is now an evidence gathering tool,” the ombudsman added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;LONG OVERDUE&#x27;<br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Called a “long overdue reform” by Remulla, the agency is creating the Ombudsman Marshal to serve as its “modern enforcement arm.”</p><p>“Since we are creating the Office of the Ombudsman Marshal, a long overdue reform, these marshals have serviced cyber warrants, secure evidence, enforce orders, protect our investigators, and ensure that no one interferes with the work of justice. With the PNP, the DOJ, the DND, the DICT, the AMLC, and the Sandiganbayan, we aim to build a firm seamless partnership in enforcement,&quot; Remulla said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/5/amlc-new-freeze-order-out-vs-flood-control-firm-frozen-assets-now-at-p13b-1021">AMLC: New freeze order out vs flood control firm; frozen assets now at P13B</a></div><p>&quot;And with our civil society organizations, we seek not mere support, but sharp research, independent analysis, and investigative insights that will assist in the creation of this office. The Ombudsman Marshal will be our modern enforcement arm,” he added.</p><p>Remulla also talked about establishing a “culture of daily discipline” to avoid delays as corruption grows “in the silence of inaction.”</p><p>“I tell our people, every day, something must be accomplished because corruption wins when government slows down. It grows in the cracks of delay, in the silence of inaction. But at the agency here, the success of this fight lies not in the current performance, but in the ordinary hours of your workday. We defeat corruption by refusing to waste time,” Remulla said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/89bVZouG_Iw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bi2qc4lQzHc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h1B8pRnm8f4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The building of a “fully digital ombudsman” with tamper-proof records and AI-supported verification is part of this strategy mentioned by Remulla.</p>

The building of a “fully digital ombudsman” with tamper-proof records and AI-supported verification is part of this strategy mentioned by Remulla.

Fully-digital, modern enforcement arm: Ombudsman bares digitalization strategy

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

Fully-digital, modern enforcement arm: Ombudsman bares digitalization strategy

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 09, 2025 12:15 PM PHT

Read More:

ombudsman

digitalization

marshal

flood control

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.