FOUR major business organizations have welcomed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s decision to make public the alleged reversal of a 2016 ruling involving Senator Joel Villanueva, saying the decision was a critical step toward restoring transparency and accountability in the country’s justice system.
In a joint statement, the Justice Reform Initiative (JRI), the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), the Makati Business Club (MBC), and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said they “commend” Remulla for revealing the supposed secret order issued by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires that overturned earlier findings against Villanueva on the alleged misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations.
The groups stressed that the Constitution requires full public disclosure of matters involving public interest, and that this duty extends to the Office of the Ombudsman, which is vested with both the authority and obligation to publicize its actions “when circumstances so warrant.”
“Such secrecy undermines confidence in the justice system and sends a dangerous signal that decisions affecting public accountability may be quietly undone, and the people can be kept in the dark,” the statement read.
The business groups warned that withholding information on the reversal deprived the public of legal remedies and prevented beneficiaries of the PDAF from recovering allegedly misused funds.
They added that transparency is not discretionary, but a constitutional requirement under Article II, Section 28 and Article III, Section 7.
They urged the Ombudsman to proceed with the investigation and prosecution of officials found liable, noting that jurisprudence gives the office authority to revisit rulings “where justice may have been compromised.”
The groups pushed for reforms to institutionalize openness, including the creation of a technology-enabled public registry of Ombudsman decisions to prevent similar incidents of undisclosed resolutions.
“The Ombudsman, by standing by its sworn duty, can stop the impunity of corruption, be a champion of justice, and deliver on the promise of a government for the people,” they said.
