PRESS RELEASE
03 JULY 2026
OMB Remulla: Conflict of interest is a sin that should be avoided by every government official
QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Resolute on upholding ethical standards in public service, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman remains firm on investigating officials who no longer recognize conflicts of interest as wrongdoing.
Addressing the participants of the Ombudsman Legal Internship Program 2026, OMB Remulla recounted meeting a married couple—both former members of Congress—who personally sought clarification after receiving subpoenas from the Office of the Ombudsman over their alleged involvement in government contracts.
“Pagdating ko rito ang dami kong bisita. But the most notable among them were a couple. Both of them were my colleagues before in Congress. One took after the other and now their children are in Congress. Unfortunately, they had with them subpoenas. They are being investigated for involvement in contracts. In other words, what we call ‘cong-tractor’. It was so strange to see that they found it seemingly mysterious that they are being asked questions about conflict of interest. As if it never existed, or as if there’s nothing wrong with it,” OMB Remulla said.
OMB Remulla further shared that despite continuing to operate a construction company while serving in Congress, the former lawmaker appeared genuinely perplexed as to why he and members of his family were being investigated.
“The wife was just nodding her head and they were holding these subpoenas. Subpoena duces tecum. Why were they holding it? Because they wanted to complain, or they wanted to be clarified on what was wrong. Or was there anything wrong that they did. Because the subpoenas were in their names, and in the names of their children. The most mysterious of all is why they didn’t think of conflict of interest in the first place,” OMB Remulla added.
The Ombudsman said the incident illustrates a deeper problem: a culture where public officials fail to recognize that personal interests have no place in government service.
“The people have to know that conflict of interest is a sin that should be avoided by every government official. “People in power in this country have gotten too much hubris. They think that there is no limit to what they can do with their power,” OMB Remulla stressed.
According to OMB Remulla, many officials facing investigation continue to insist they have done nothing wrong and that these declarations reveal a troubling disconnect between public accountability and personal conscience.
“These remarks professing innocence are also alarming because they see nothing wrong with what they did, even when it’s glaring to our faces,” OMB Remulla said.
OMB Remulla warned that the greatest threat to public service is when leaders lose the moral awareness to recognize conflicts of interest and place personal gain above the public good.
“It’s the consciousness of doing something illegally. Illegal, unjust, immoral, and not being aware of it as leaders of society. That brings fear in my heart. If our leaders do not think of conflict of interest, what happens to our country? Can they just take everything to their table and say, this is mine, while doing away with the responsibility?” OMB Remulla said.
Addressing the legal interns, OMB Remulla challenged the next generation of lawyers to become catalysts for rebuilding integrity in public service and changing a culture where corruption has become normalized.
“The country really needs people who will reinvent the Filipino culture. We have to do something about it. We have to transform this country again into something better… piece by piece, stone by stone, tile by tile, nail by nail,” OMB Remulla said.
The OMB Legal Internship Program immerses law students in the OMB’s core activities like fact-finding and case build-up, criminal and administrative procedures, and prosecution of cases before the Sandiganbayan.#
