Supreme Court Urges Ombudsman to Substantiate Allegations Against Court of Appeals

The Supreme Court has urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla or any concerned party to substantiate allegations of partiality, misconduct, and corruption against the Court of Appeals (CA), stating it cannot act on broad accusations based on public statements without proper complaints and evidence. SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the high court takes such allegations seriously, but cannot act on "broad allegations against an entire appellate court based on public statements." She urged Remulla or any concerned party to file the proper complaint and submit supporting evidence, giving the judges or justices concerned an opportunity to respond. "This will allow the Court to determine the facts and, when warranted, exercise its disciplinary authority," Ting said in a statement. The SC issued the statement after Remulla urged the judiciary to undergo "soul-searching" over an alleged "trend" of ombudsman decisions being reversed by the CA. During a Senate finance committee hearing on the ombudsman’s proposed 2027 budget, Remulla said he had raised his concerns with Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen over cases in which ombudsman decisions were reversed by the CA. He described the reversals as a "problem" that only discourages the ombudsman’s office to "conduct all these activities only to be reversed by the CA decision that came out of nowhere." Remulla said the judiciary "has to be examined closely by everybody in government." The SC said it welcomes fair criticism of the judiciary and its decisions, but stressed that serious accusations against judges and courts should be raised through proper processes so these can be fairly investigated and resolved. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines echoed the SC’s call, saying allegations of corruption against the courts need to be substantiated. IBP national president Allan Panolong said the organization condemns corruption in all government institutions, particularly in the judiciary, but agreed with the SC that serious allegations should be pursued through proper channels.