The most considerable turbulence in 2025 was the flood control project scandal.

An issue that was not just seen in every news story released almost every day, but also felt in every household invaded by a brown-colored pool when heavy rain starts pouring.

In his State of the Nation address in July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after three typhoons hit the country that resulted in extreme flooding, delivered a sharp condemnation of corruption in infrastructure and uttered the now infamous “mahiya naman kayo,” throwing shade at the government, which was supposedly involved in kickbacks on the projects.

Members of both the House of Representatives and Senate were implicated along with private contractors, district engineers and the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

However, the Ombudsman’s seat is empty after Samuel Martires left on 27 July upon completion of his fixed, non-renewable seven-year term.

The agency that serves as a government watchdog and investigates public officials accused of anomalies needs an official head.

On 15 October, Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla took his oath as the 7th Ombudsman of the country, transferring from his role as the Department of Justice (DoJ) secretary.

No bed of roses

The road was never smooth as even before his appointment, the political drama threatened after Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s sister in September, alleged that Remulla is being groomed to become the Ombudsman and dubbed it as a political move to weaken the Duterte bloc in the 2028 election.

During his time at the DoJ, Remulla authorized the International Criminal Court to pursue former President Rodrigo Duterte. Senator Marcos then filed a criminal and administrative complaint against the then-justice secretary.

The Judiciary Bar Council states that an Ombudsman applicant may be disqualified if they have a pending case. However, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the DoJ Secretary’s charges, making him eligible for the position by the JBC deadline.

After his appointment, Remulla signaled a “transparent” Ombudsman’s Office by lifting the public restriction on the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of high-ranking officials, including the President and Vice President, reversing his predecessor’s rule.

“This decision is guided by a simple principle: the public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth. Transparency in this area is not a slogan-it is a safeguard against corruption and a deterrent to abuse of powers,” Public statement of the Office of the Ombudsman stated, through Assistant Ombudsman, Mico Clavano.

Then, a silent agency that may not be familiar to the public becomes busy: complaints continue to come from small groups against political figures, up to DPWH and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, along with batches of transferred documents related to the country’s “biggest corruption scandal.”

Media outlets are on their post waiting for updates from the Ombudsman on who will be the first on the list to receive a filed case against them and have the information and charges against them transferred to the Regional Trial Court and Sandiganbayan.

After two months of investigation into Flood Control cases, the former Ako Bicol Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, Oriental Mindoro, is the first to appear before the Sandiganbayan.