Leonen urges Remulla to pursue accountability, integrity as Ombudsman

Supreme Court acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen on Thursday urged newly sworn Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to lead the fight against corruption “with courage and creativity,” as he pledged the judiciary’s support in upholding public accountability.

In his message during Remulla’s oath-taking ceremony at the Supreme Court, Leonen reminded that public service is a “temporary title” bound by duty to the people.

“Accountability from public officers is fundamental to public trust. All of us in public service should know that our titles are temporary and our duty is to fulfill the public trust given to us,” he said.

Boying was encouraged by Leonen to identify systemic weaknesses and “discover the breaches of integrity and the regulatory capture being called out by our people.” He also called on Remulla to prioritize cases that would lead to “fundamental reform and rid corruption from our society.”

Leonen assured that the judiciary is strengthening its own internal mechanisms to ensure integrity and transparency.

Among these measures is the creation of a working committee to inventory all judiciary projects handled by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and report their status to the Chief Justice.

“Build the cases. Discover, access, preserve, maintain and then present the evidence properly in our courts,” Leonen said, promising that the judiciary would act “with due process and deliberate speed.”

He closed his address with an appeal for steadfastness:

“Remember always: while we enjoy these temporary titles, we should do what we should… Do not fail our people. They continue to suffer.”