Palace commends the Ombudsman’s office to enforce accountability among public officials

Malacañang has commended the Office of the Ombudsman for its continuing efforts to enforce accountability among public officials.

In a statement issued on Monday (Feb. 1), Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. acknowledged that corruption in the bureaucracy is one of the biggest challenges faced by the Aquino administration.

"Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales’ commentary reflects the enormity of the challenge faced by Government in dealing with deeply embedded corruption in the bureaucracy, especially in local government units that account for most of the new cases filed by her office. We note her observation that ‘... the President is really pursuing this anticorruption campaign in earnest’,” said Secretary Coloma.

Morales said corruption remains prevalent in the government as she noted that her office has received a total of 1,092 new cases involving local officials. Her statement came after the Philippines dropped to 95th position from 85th in the 2015 Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, with the higher ranking perceived as more corrupt.

The Ombudsman also urged voters to choose candidates with integrity in the May elections to ensure a clean government.

"We share our people’s heightened trust and confidence in the integrity of the Ombudsman and applaud the continuing efforts exerted by her Office to enforce accountability among public officials. In parallel, the administration continues to fortify the administrative framework for good governance through path-finding initiatives, such as requiring compliance with transparency requirements and building performance-based competencies,” said Coloma. (PCOO News Release)