Why has corruption in the Philippines flourished more than tenfold in the last decade?

The answer to this question is in the letter of Dr. John Chiong, founder of Task Force Kasanag, on how the Office of the Ombudsman processed the case that he filed on 13 November 2024 against Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Norman Luis de Leon, Rolando Salazar, Mark Gil de los Santos, Roberto de la Vega and several John Does charging them with illegal detention, grave threats, illegal demolition and excessive fines for cutting permits before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Dr. Chiong belied the premature victory claim of Mayor Sotto in the case he filed against him and decried the underhanded manner of its dismissal.

“It has come to public attention-amplified by the highly active social media presence of Mayor Vico Sotto, that a supposed “victory” has been attained by him in a case filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by Task Force Kasanag Inc. (TFK) regarding the demolition of the property of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“It is important to approach such claims with scrutiny, especially when the facts reveal that the matter is far from resolved and, worse, is riddled with procedural irregularities. No court order was issued to authorize the demolition of the structures. The demolition, widely documented and circulated on social media, now stands as primary evidence of wrongdoing committed by the Pasig City Mayor’s Office.

“Yet, the Ombudsman conducted no proper investigation and issued no findings supported by documents. Mayor Sotto’s actions reflect a blatant abuse of power. Engr. Selwyn Lao, a private citizen, was personally targeted with three warrants of arrest allegedly obtained by the Pasig City Mayor’s Office under the supervision of City Administrator Manzanero. The lot in question belongs to the BSP, yet no charges were filed against the BSP.

“The document being paraded as a ‘decision’ was a mere two-page letter rather than a formal resolution of a legal issue. It was signed not by a hearing officer or authorized adjudicator of the Ombudsman, but only by the Chief of the Central Records Division, Ms. Caroline A. de Leon.

“This raises a lot of questions: Does Ombudsman Martires know about this? Were there backroom negotiations? The Office of the Ombudsman must address these questions. Why has corruption in the Philippines flourished more than tenfold in the past decade?

“Moreover, the alleged demolition of a structure in Barangay Bambang, Pasig City — the very incident forming the heart of the complaint still exists. Did the Office of the Ombudsman ever conduct a site inspection to verify the allegations? The lack suggests a failure to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation as required by the Constitution and the Ombudsman’s own mandate.

“This brings to the fore deeper concerns about our justice system. When positions of power are used not to serve but to silence, not to protect but to impose, the people suffer.

“Justice must not only be done. It must be seen to be done, transparently and lawfully.

In the spirit of accountability, let us not be swayed by popularity, but remain steadfast in demanding what is just and right,” concluded Dr. Chiong in his letter.