Ombudsman to ask Congress to abolish ARTA law

The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday announced it will ask Congress to abolish the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) law, saying it is an unconstitutional law that "usurps or encroaches upon the powers of the Ombudsman."

“The Office of the Ombudsman would appreciate if Congress can amend or repeal the ARTA law, which is an unconstitutional law as it usurps or encroaches upon the powers of the Ombudsman,” Ombudsman Samuel Martires said in a Justice committee hearing at the House of Representatives.

In May 2018, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which amended the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

Section 17 of RA 11032 provides for the creation of ARTA.

Martires said he will write a letter to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, House Justice Committee chairperson Juliet Marie Ferrer, and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“I will be writing a letter to the speaker of the House as well as your honor, the chair of the Committee on Justice, as well as to the Senate President on the abolition of the ARTA because this function belongs solely to the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.

Despite this, Martires said that the Ombudsman had done nothing to address the red tape in government.

“I must admit that it passed 30 years, the Office of the Ombudsman did not do anything with respect to this function of determining inefficiency and red tape in government. But it does not mean to say also that Congress should enact a law that encroaches on the Constitutional powers of the Ombudsman,” he said.

GMA News Online has sought comment from ARTA.

Meanwhile, he also sought the amendment of Republic Act 10660 or An Act Strengthening Further the Functional and Structural Organization of the Sandiganbayan.

“Under this law, cases against low-ranking officials or even high-ranking officials if their cases fall within the jurisdiction of the regional trial court must be filed in another judicial region where the official does not reside,” he said.

Martires asked Congress to trust the judges.

“All I appeal to Congress now is to trust the judges. Let the jurisdiction be assumed by the regional trial court where the official is,” he said. — BM, GMA News