3,500 apply for 114 jobs at Ombudsman's office

At least 3,500 individuals have applied for 114 permanent positions at the Office of the Ombudsman, Assistant Ombudsman for Internal Affairs Luigi Bonoan said Wednesday.

In a statement, Bonoan said the vacancies are in the Ombudsman’s central office in Quezon City, as well as its offices in the Visayas and Mindanao.

He said the volume of applicants indicates that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s call for integrity, accountability, and good governance has resonated with the public.

“The Office of the Ombudsman is sifting through more than 3,500 applications for positions in the anti-graft body. It shows that many people believe in what we’re doing here,” Bonoan said.

“People want to be part of the good fight,” he added.

Bonoan also clarified that the vacancies are open to both lawyers and non-lawyers, citing the office’s multidisciplinary approach to combating corruption.

“It can’t just be legal and purely investigatory. We want specialized people—we want engineers, accountants, even medical professionals,” he said.

“We’re not just looking to fill positions. We’re looking to build a strong organization, and the best way to do that is to get the best people,” he added.

The Office of the Ombudsman is currently investigating and prosecuting alleged kickbacks and anomalies in the country’s flood control projects, as well as in the procurement and implementation of other government infrastructure programs.

Since Remulla assumed office in October 2025, the Ombudsman has filed three batches of charges related to alleged anomalies in flood control and infrastructure projects:

• malversation and graft charges against resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and at least 15 others over a P289-million allegedly substandard road dike project in Oriental Mindoro;
• malversation and graft charges against contractor Sarah Discaya and several others over a P96.5-million alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental; and
• malversation and graft charges against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, and five others over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

—MCG, GMA News