About
The Office of the Ombudsman, also known as the Tanodbayan, is a constitutional body of the Philippine government established under the 1987 Philippine Constitution and given its operational framework through the Ombudsman Act of 1989. It is principally tasked to investigate, on its own or upon complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public officer or employee — including those in government-owned or controlled corporations — which appears to be illegal, unjust, improper, or inefficient. The Office independently monitors all three branches of the Philippine government for political corruption and, after investigation, files criminal charges at the Sandiganbayan, the special anti-graft court. The Ombudsman traces its origins to the martial law-era Tanodbayan created by Presidential Decree on June 11, 1978. Following the 1986 People Power Revolution, President Corazon Aquino reorganized the office and the 1987 Constitution established the current independent Office of the Ombudsman with full prosecutorial authority. The Ombudsman and deputies are appointed by the President from a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council for a non-renewable seven-year term. The Office maintains a Central Office in Quezon City and regional offices across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.