PCSO chair Reyes cleared in Ombudsman race

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chairman Felix P. Reyes has officially been cleared of all criminal and administrative charges as the 27 October deadline to appoint a new Ombudsman approaches.

In a resolution dated 29 September 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman cleared Reyes alongside PCSO cohorts Mel Robles, Jennifer Liongson-Guevara, and Janet Mercado. An administrative complaint filed in February of this year cited Reyes and company on behalf of a small-time PCSO lottery operator allegedly failing to remit revenue shares to the local government of Camarines Sur. Reyes filed an ex-parte motion to have the charges dropped on 4 August, followed by another motion on 8 September.

A source close to Reyes previously claimed that the Ombudsman had benched Reyes’ case in favor of other, more high-profile cases. The same source also alleged that an anonymous memorandum, reportedly from the Ombudsman Employees Association, began circulating within government offices accusing the agency of favoritism in prioritizing cases.

Reyes, a former Marikina regional trial court judge, was previously given a deadline of 6 October to secure his clearance as he vies for the position of Ombudsman.