Sandiganbayan’s 2025 conviction rate hits 47.49 %
(INQUIRER file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has so far recorded a 47.49 percent conviction rate in cases filed before the Sandiganbayan this year, even as fewer cases reached the anti-graft court following the enactment of a 2015 law that expanded the jurisdiction of regional trial courts (RTCs).
During the House committee on appropriations hearing on Tuesday, Deputy Ombudsman Jose M. Balmeo Jr. said the rate translated to 180 convictions as of July 2025.
“As of July 2025, for Sandiganbayan cases, we have 47.49 percent convictions. It resulted in 180 convictions,” Balmeo told lawmakers.
Former Ombudsman officer-in-charge Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo noted a “significant reduction” in cases filed before the Sandiganbayan due to Republic Act No. 10660.
Under RA 10660, she explained that the jurisdiction of RTCs was expanded to include cases without allegations of damage to the government or bribery amounting to P1 million or less, limiting the Sandiganbayan’s scope to higher-profile cases.
When asked about last year’s and this year’s case data, Balmeo admitted the Ombudsman has yet to determine how many fact-finding investigations advanced to preliminary cases.
He instead reported that the Ombudsman is handling 950 pending fact-finding cases as of July 2025, and had resolved 806 fact-finding cases in 2024.
“We have here the percentage of completed case build reports, fact-finding investigations, and lifestyle checks. Our target for 2024 was 21.8 percent, and as of June 2025, we achieved 26.1 percent,” Balmeo said.
“This is the completed case build-up report and fact-finding investigation or lifestyle check that resulted in filing for criminal or administrative cases,” he added.
To address the backlog of fact-finding cases, Balmeo said that they are in the process of adding more personnel and have so far hired 210 lawyers and non-lawyers.
Bataan 1st District Rep. Antonio Roman III then asked if the anti-graft agency plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them address the backlog.
“To be honest, up to this time, we have not been fully utilizing AI. Part of our budget request is to put a cybercrime laboratory to help our investigators keep abreast with the new technology,” Balmeo disclosed.
“We are hopefully requesting P568.35 million as part of the MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses), which would finance or put up a cybercrime laboratory,” he added.
Based on the anti-graft body’s presentation, the Department of Budget and Management recommended a total of P6.390 billion budget for fiscal year 2026, which consists of 0.941 percent of the national expenditure program of P6.793 trillion. /gsg
