More than 200 complaints tied to questionable flood control infrastructure are being examined by the Office of the Ombudsman, which has so far brought four of those matters before the courts this year, the agency’s chief disclosed this week.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla put the figure at 209 fact-finding investigations for the first half of 2026 — roughly double the 124 complaints the office took up across all of 2025. He shared the numbers in a recorded video message played at the Southeast Asian Ombudsman Forum (SEAOF) in Metro Manila on Tuesday, June 16, having been unable to attend in person while in New York for a United Nations conference on sustainable development.
“Today, our offuce stands at the forefront of addressing one of the most significant governance challenges confronting our country, the investigation of flood control infrastructure projects involving serious concerns on public accountability, transparency, and the protection of public resources,” Remulla said.
He framed the caseload as a measure of intensifying scrutiny since he assumed the post in October 2025. Of the 124 complaints handled last year, 36 advanced to either preliminary investigation or administrative adjudication. The 2026 total, he said, reflects several matters that have since moved into formal proceedings.
The four cases already lodged in court target sitting and former legislators. Plunder and graft charges have been brought against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former Sen. Bong Revilla and former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. Estrada and Revilla — both previously jailed over the pork barrel scam — are again behind bars, this time over allegations connected to flood control spending.
Contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya are likewise facing graft and malversation charges in connection with the same wave of investigations.
Co has remained outside the country and, per reports, is seeking asylum in France after authorities failed to compel his return; the Sandiganbayan has separately tagged him a fugitive from justice.
Remulla, addressing his regional counterparts, cast the work as larger than any single docket. “Beyond these numbers is a deeper responsibility — to strengthen public trust and demonstrate that accountability institutions can respond with independence, fairness, professionalism, and resolve,” he said.
