NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Analyst: Empower The Ombudsman, Not Another Commission
Photo credit: Boying Remulla
As Congress debates a proposal to create a new Independent People’s Commission (IPC), political analyst and veteran communicator Ed Javier is urging lawmakers to take a different path—by strengthening the Office of the Ombudsman instead of setting up another body from scratch.
Javier cautioned that the country’s repeated response to corruption—forming new commissions—has rarely produced swift or lasting justice.
“Every generation seems to respond to corruption the same way, by creating a new commission,” Javier said.
“But decades of experience show that commissions multiply paperwork, not convictions, and require new budgets, offices, and years of learning before they can even function.”
The proposed IPC was floated by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who earlier noted that legislative action on the measure may be delayed as Congress prioritizes the national budget.
For Javier, that delay highlights a deeper issue. He pointed to past commissions formed during moments of public outrage—the Agrava Commission, PCGG, Truth Commission, and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission—many of which either failed to deliver clear results or became mired in legal and institutional delays.
“The lesson is clear: the problem has never been the absence of agencies. It has been the absence of speed, authority, and accountability,” he said.
Javier underscored the cost of such delays, citing recent remarks by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that nearly P600 billion worth of government cases were lost due to “inordinate delay.”
“This is not just money lost. It is justice denied,” Javier said.
Rather than creating another commission, Javier called for giving the Ombudsman stronger enforcement powers, modern digital and forensic tools, and direct oversight of agencies such as the PNP, NBI, DOJ, and AMLC.
“Give it multi-layered authority: real law enforcement powers, digital and forensic capabilities, and the ability to directly oversee personnel from the PNP, NBI, DOJ, and AMLC,” he said.
“There is no need to fatten bureaucracy with a new commission that starts from zero.”
Javier pointed to Hong Kong’s ICAC and Singapore’s CPIB as models, noting that their success comes from independence, strong enforcement authority, and strict timelines.
“Corruption is defeated not by press conferences or new acronyms, but by convictions—and that requires institutions with real power, not more commissions,” he concluded.
Javier cautioned that the country’s repeated response to corruption—forming new commissions—has rarely produced swift or lasting justice.
“Every generation seems to respond to corruption the same way, by creating a new commission,” Javier said.
“But decades of experience show that commissions multiply paperwork, not convictions, and require new budgets, offices, and years of learning before they can even function.”
The proposed IPC was floated by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who earlier noted that legislative action on the measure may be delayed as Congress prioritizes the national budget.
For Javier, that delay highlights a deeper issue. He pointed to past commissions formed during moments of public outrage—the Agrava Commission, PCGG, Truth Commission, and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission—many of which either failed to deliver clear results or became mired in legal and institutional delays.
“The lesson is clear: the problem has never been the absence of agencies. It has been the absence of speed, authority, and accountability,” he said.
Javier underscored the cost of such delays, citing recent remarks by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that nearly P600 billion worth of government cases were lost due to “inordinate delay.”
“This is not just money lost. It is justice denied,” Javier said.
Rather than creating another commission, Javier called for giving the Ombudsman stronger enforcement powers, modern digital and forensic tools, and direct oversight of agencies such as the PNP, NBI, DOJ, and AMLC.
“Give it multi-layered authority: real law enforcement powers, digital and forensic capabilities, and the ability to directly oversee personnel from the PNP, NBI, DOJ, and AMLC,” he said.
“There is no need to fatten bureaucracy with a new commission that starts from zero.”
Javier pointed to Hong Kong’s ICAC and Singapore’s CPIB as models, noting that their success comes from independence, strong enforcement authority, and strict timelines.
“Corruption is defeated not by press conferences or new acronyms, but by convictions—and that requires institutions with real power, not more commissions,” he concluded.
Jan 2, 2026
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