Ombudsman Jesus “Crispin” Remulla has called on the judiciary to act more swiftly against people convicted of graft, questioning why many who have already been found guilty remain free on bail while their cases drag on for years.

Remulla said the justice system must be examined as a whole when the public asks why people accused of corruption are not immediately sent to prison, stressing that the Ombudsman can only take a case so far before the courts must act.

“If a lower court convicts you — if you are convicted by the Sandiganbayan or the Regional Trial Court for graft — you should already be in jail,” Remulla said.

Speaking in a radio interview on Saturday, Remulla said the Sandiganbayan and regional trial courts have convicted numerous individuals, but only a fraction ultimately serve time.

Distinction stated

He distinguished the presumption of innocence and the right to bail before conviction and the situation after a trial court finds a person guilty.

Remulla then criticized what he described as excessive leniency in the granting of bail after conviction, including what he considered low bail amounts.

“The problem is that the courts are being too lenient and are not doing their job of putting those who should be imprisoned behind bars. They keep granting bail, and the bail amounts are too low,” Remulla said.

He explained that if bail is granted after conviction, courts should consider the extent of damage caused by the convicted individual in setting the amount. He also suggested requiring cash bonds, rather than bail bonds, in such cases.

According to Remulla, his office is now conducting an inventory of individuals convicted by the Sandiganbayan to determine whether they are in prison or remain free on bail, and to identify the judges who granted bail.

The move comes as he pressed the judiciary to account for what happens to cases after the Ombudsman has prosecuted them.

He also raised concerns about how long courts take to resolve motions for reconsideration, bail applications, and other post-conviction matters.

The Ombudsman said some cases have dragged on for as long as 15 years and questioned the absence of firm deadlines for judicial action.

“The problem is that the courts are being a little too lenient and are not doing their job of putting those who should be imprisoned behind bars. They keep granting bail, and the bail amounts are too low,” Remulla said.

He acknowledged that courts have rules and procedures to follow, including requests for extensions, but questioned how long cases should remain unresolved.

“But how about that? Are they just going to sit on it forever?” he said.

Remulla warned that prolonged court proceedings can undermine the justice system, particularly when convicted individuals remain free while their cases continue through lengthy legal processes.