The Office of the Ombudsman and the Fight Against Corruption

Abstract

The Office of the Ombudsman is taking on the biggest case in the history of the Philippines. No less than a former president is charged with crimes against the people. Can the Ombudsman do its job? The author believes so. The Constitution provides that the Ombudsman has authority over the actions of all public officials and employees, offices and agencies, including the Office of the President. It is the official critic of laws, procedures and practices in government. It is the protector of the people against graft and corruption on all levels of government. The Ombudsman has a battle plan. If followed properly, it will stop graft and corruption before it starts, and make the guilty pay. To accomplish its goals, the Ombudsman will tap the active support of the citizenry and government offices such as the Commission on Audit (COA) , the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Through proper methods and the, support of public and private sectors, the author believes that there could be day be only high standards of ethics and efficiency in government.