MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman and the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday to intensify the government’s fight against corruption, addressing delays in corruption-related cases and improving coordination among key institutions in the justice system.
The JSCC was established on April 30, 2010, serving as a forum for collaboration among the primary justice sector institutions: the Supreme Court (SC), Department of Justice and Department of the Interior and Local Government to facilitate information sharing and joint initiatives.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said institutional independence and meaningful cooperation are not contradictory but “reinforce each other.”
“Corruption does not operate within the boundaries of a single government agency. Neither should our response to it,” Remulla said as he joined SC Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo during the signing ceremony at the SC Division Hearing Room in Manila.
Remulla emphasized that fighting corruption requires a coordinated approach involving investigation, prosecution, adjudication and enforcement, alongside stronger measures to prevent wrongdoing before it occurs.
“We cannot simply wait for public funds to be stolen, government services to be compromised or public trust to be destroyed before we act,” he said.
Under the agreement, the participating institutions will strengthen cooperation to address bottlenecks in corruption-related cases and improve secure information-sharing and digital systems.
Joining the JSCC, the Office of the Ombudsman is set on developing joint initiatives involving financial crimes, asset recovery, cyber-enabled corruption and digital forensics.
He said the partnership must deliver concrete improvements in the administration of justice.
“I do not want this memorandum of understanding to become another document that we sign today and forget tomorrow,” Remulla said.
“We must translate this agreement into concrete programs, clear responsibilities, realistic timelines and measurable results,” he added.
While underscoring the importance of institutional cooperation, Remulla assured that the Office of the Ombudsman would continue to exercise its constitutional mandate independently. (PNA)
FIGHT VS CORRUPTION. Officials of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Justice Sector Coordinating Council sign a memorandum of understanding at the Supreme Court in Manila on Monday (Oct. 26, 2026). The MOU aims to intensify the government’s fight against corruption, addressing delays in corruption-related cases and improving coordination among key institutions in the justice system.
