Philippines Ombudsman pushes for its own law-enforcement unit in Senate
The Office of the Ombudsman asked the Senate to create an internal enforcement arm so it can make arrests and conduct entrapments without relying on other police forces.
Assistant Ombudsman PMGen. Eliseo DC Cruz and Assistant Ombudsman Atty. Luis Gonzaga Bonoan Jr. presented a proposal to the Senate’s justice and human-rights panel. The measure would give the Ombudsman authority to carry out lawful arrests and entrapment operations. Advocates say this would improve the agency’s ability to catch corrupt officials. The request seeks to reduce dependence on external law-enforcement bodies.
Why it matters
Granting the Ombudsman arrest powers could significantly boost anti-corruption efforts in the Philippines.
In this story
ombudsmanlaw enforcement powersSenateenforcement servicearrestsentrapmentcorruptionPhilippines
