The Office of the Ombudsman has called on public officials to strictly separate their private commercial ventures from public service as the anti-graft agency intensifies its crackdown on lawmakers involved in conflicts of interest.
During a radio interview on Saturday, July 11, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla declared that elected leaders must halt all involvements in government contracting to restore ethical standards in public office.
“Itong conflict of interest, tigilan na natin. Let’s set a standard in our country of decency. Maging disente naman tayong mga tao. Tama na ’yan,” Remulla said.
Remulla pointed out that individuals focused on building businesses should stay out of the political sphere, underscoring that the two domains are fundamentally incompatible.
“Magnegosyo ka kung gusto mo, pero huwag kang magpo-politika,” he added.
The Ombudsman further clarified that the practice is not exclusive to party-list nominees, revealing that several district representatives are also tied to government supply and construction contracts.
“Hindi lang naman party-list ang nagko-contractor, may mga district congressman na kasama,” he said.
The agency’s stern warning coincides with its escalating probe into legislators accused of breaching constitutional and legal bans against self-dealing in state transactions.
Earlier this month, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano disclosed that the graft complaints against Tarlac 3rd District Representative Noel Rivera and Uswag Ilonggo Party-list Representative Jojo Ang have officially advanced to a preliminary investigation. The transition follows a fact-finding phase where probers discovered enough merit to pursue the cases under Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Clavano emphasized that congressional members are legally barred from owning building firms due to their direct influence over the national budget allocations.
He warned that securing state contracts for businesses they own or control poses a direct conflict of interest, adding that more cases against other lawmakers are expected to progress soon.