EDITORIAL - Soul-searching

Members of the judiciary may find it unfair, but Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla surely struck a chord when he openly urged the judiciary to engage in “soul-searching” to improve the administration of justice.

Remulla expressed his frustration while defending the proposed 2027 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Sept. 3 before the Senate finance committee.

He lamented the slow pace of justice, with corruption cases crawling along for 15 years dismissed by the Sandiganbayan for inordinate delay.

Even convictions were reversed by the Court of Appeals, he said, with the CA rulings coming “out of nowhere” and “discouraging” graft investigators.

“The judiciary has to be examined closely by everybody,” Remulla said. “They themselves should go soul-searching so we can be a better country.”

Members of the judiciary are outside the jurisdiction of the ombudsman. Disciplinary actions on judiciary members are carried out by the Supreme Court.

The SC, through its spokesperson, urged Remulla on Friday to substantiate his allegations about the “worrying trend” in the courts, particularly the CA.

Remulla has had his share of criticisms, particularly from the political opponents of President Marcos who are accusing the ombudsman of weaponizing the law and engaging in selective prosecution.

But Remulla can take comfort in the fact that he is not alone in his lament about the judiciary. It has been expressed not only by ordinary Filipinos, but even by both local and foreign investors, who have listed corruption and inefficiency in the judiciary as major disincentives to job-generating investments.

The Philippine judicial system has gained notoriety for its glacial pace and for offering the best justice that money can buy.

Remulla looked like he was merely venting at the Senate. On the call of the SC for substantiation of his negative assessment of the judiciary, he may not be keen on adding more to his plate already piled high with corruption cases related to some of the country’s ranking public officials and wealthy private citizens.

But he may want to test the sincerity of the SC by filing a complaint against at least one erring member of the judiciary. Unlike ordinary people with complaints about injustice, his office has the resources to pursue such a complaint before the high tribunal.

If the SC acts in favor of his complaint and imposes appropriate sanctions, it could send a powerful warning to erring judges and justices that they are being watched, and it can no longer be business as usual.