THE Office of the Ombudsman reported a 61.36 conviction rate in the first six months of 2025, a significant improvement from 48.51 percent for the same period in 2024.
Based on the Quarterly Physical Report of Operation as of June 30, 2025 posted on its official website, Ombudsman prosecutors scored at least one conviction in 125 cases out of 187 total that were decided from January to March 2025 (66.84 percent) and 37 cases out of 77 from April to June 2025 (48.05 percent) or a total of 162 convictions in 264 cases.
This compares to 43 in 126 cases (34.13 percent) in the first quarter of 2024 and 71 in 109 cases (65.14 percent) for the second quarter of last year.
The Ombudsman prosecutes criminal cases against erring public officials in both the Sandiganbayan and local courts.
At the Sandiganbayan, among the high-profile cases it won this year were the graft cases against former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista and former city administrator Aldrin Cuña; graft and malversation charges against former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chair Efraim Genuino and four other agency officials; Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel graft case against former Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia and businesswoman Janet Napoles; and a separate PDAF graft case against Muntinlupa City mayor Rozzano Rufino Biazon.
During the same six-month period, the Ombudsman also completed 461 investigations of complaints filed before it that resulted in 123 indictments or 26.68 percent.
In comparison, there were 70 charges filed the previous year out of 389 cases investigated and disposed of by the Ombudsman.
Likewise, the anti-corruption body reported a 100% case survival score with all 21 cases filed during the first half of the year not being dismissed by the courts on insufficiency of evidence.
In January to June 2024, the case survival score was at 99.47 percent with only one dismissal in 189 cases filed.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires is stepping down before the end of the month, set to complete a full seven-year term by July 27, 2025.
