CEBU CITY-The Office of the Ombudsman is ramping up efforts to dismantle bureaucratic roadblocks, cut burdensome permit requirements, and curb corruption to improve the country’s investment climate.
Speaking at a dialogue with Cebu’s business community, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the agency aims to prosecute erring public officials while collaborating with businesses and regulators to streamline public services.
‘Government should actually help businessmen-make their lives easier,’ Remulla said, highlighting widespread abuse in business licensing offices and Fire Bureau clearances. He noted that the Ombudsman has already ousted a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief and plans to charge more implicated officials.
However, Remulla emphasized that prosecution alone will not solve the problem.
‘We cannot just be all prosecution and be angry every day, all the time. We have to keep living as a country,’ he said, advocating for systemic reforms to eliminate corruption at its root.
To address these issues, the Ombudsman plans to convene a regulatory summit in 2027 to boost transparency and accelerate digitalization. Remulla pointed out that online systems eliminate face-to-face contact, cutting off opportunities for fixers and bribery.
He cited ongoing efforts to fully operationalize the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) Land Transportation Management System for online renewals as a model.
Remulla also stressed the need for evidence-based investigations rather than rushing to prosecute based on public pressure.
The Cebu dialogue brought together key business groups, including the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Lapu-Lapu Chamber of Commerce.
Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano IV explained that the meeting aimed to build a direct line with enterprises to address regulatory friction before it escalates into formal complaints. Clavano noted that small entrepreneurs often bear the heaviest burden of redundant compliance rules.
CCCI President Regan Rex King welcomed the initiative, suggesting a formal partnership among the Ombudsman, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), and local business chambers to rebuild public trust. King highlighted fire safety inspections, business permits, and slow digital adoption as major hurdles.
Echoing King’s sentiments, Mandaue Chamber representative Barbara Gothong Tan and Lapu-Lapu Chamber representative Anthony Noel praised the agency’s commitment to ease of doing business, noting that digital automation and inter-agency cooperation are crucial as enterprises navigate economic headwinds.
Remulla pledged to maintain open lines with the private sector to ensure meaningful, long-term reforms.