What’s an ‘investment ombudsman,’ Boying Remulla’s second-year initiative?

OMB. File photo of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin 'Boying' Remulla.

Jire Carreon/Rappler

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla says his second year will focus on recovery to help the country’s economy bounce back 'by removing the corruption that holds it back'

AT A GLANCE

• Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla plans to establish an 'investment ombudsman' to help combat corruption and improve the economy by providing a channel for investors to report bribery and regulatory abuses.
• The initiative aims to address issues like regulatory capture, which leads to inflated prices and hinders small businesses, ultimately affecting job creation and economic growth.
• Remulla's project aligns with the Ombudsman's constitutional mandate and builds on previous efforts to enhance investment and governance in the Philippines.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said he would establish an “investment ombudsman” as he starts his second year as the country’s top anti-graft official.

In his first annual report, Remulla said the Ombudsman’s work would now transition from exacting accountability to recovery to help the country’s economy bounce back “by removing the corruption that holds it back.”

Following his appointment in October 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman filed 39 cases in connection with the flood control corruption controversy. 

“Corruption does not only steal from the treasury. It steals from the economy. Ang investor na hiningan ng lagay ay hindi na babalik. At ang trabahong dala sana niya, hindi na rin darating,” Remulla said on Monday, October 12. (Investors who were asked bribes will not return. And the jobs that they could bring will no longer come.)

Here are some initial details of Remulla’s project:

What will it do? Remulla said the investment ombudsman will be a channel where local and foreign investors can “report any public official who demands a bribe, sits on a permit, or abuses regulatory power.”

In September, when Remulla first mentioned his plan in a radio show, the Anti-Red Tape Authority said it would be a “timely and strategic reform,” as it would reinforce compliance with the Ease of Doing Business Law and encourage government agencies to prioritize ease of doing business as a cornerstone of governance.

Why the need for it? Remulla said he would stop regulatory capture, which happens when regulatory agencies end up serving the firms they are supposed to police. 

According to Remulla, examples of the effects of regulatory capture include bloated power rates, as well as high prices of rice and onions as few players hoard import permits.

He said this could also impact small businesses, which may be unable to open without paying fixers to expedite permits and navigate other unnecessary requirements.

Remulla said addressing bribery could minimize business costs.

“Kapag bumaba ang gastos, bababa ang presyo, dadami ang negosyo, at dadami ang trabaho,” he added. (If costs are down, there will be lower prices, as well as more businesses and jobs.)

In 2027, Remulla said he planned to convene regulators from every industry to hold the Philippine Regulatory Summit to identify regulatory gaps, overlapping functions, procedures vulnerable to corruption, and opportunities for digitization of government transactions.

Is it part of the Ombudsman’s constitutional mandate? Remulla cited Article XI, Section 13(7) of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that the Ombudsman can “determine the cause of inefficiency, red tape, mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in the Government and make recommendations for their elimination and the observance of high standards of ethics and efficiency.”

Have there been previous “investment ombudsman” initiatives? Among those who formed an investment ombudsman team was former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales in 2014.

In a primer available on the Ombudsman website, it was said the team’s purpose was to expedite resolution of investor issues and concerns, encourage local and foreign investments in the country and improve global competitiveness, and assist in attaining the national goal of “inclusive growth and poverty reduction.”

In 1999, then-president Joseph Estrada signed an executive order to create a position for an investment ombudsman, which was under the direct supervision of the chairman of the Board of Investments. Months later, it was transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) before going to the then Economic Coordinating Council.

Former trade secretaries Peter Favila (Arroyo administration) and Gregory Domingo (Aquino administration) attempted to revive the position. – Rappler.com