The Office of the Ombudsman will gain direct access to government procurement records in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), allowing investigators to obtain information for corruption investigations without relying solely on separate document requests.
Under a Data Sharing Agreement signed with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) on September 29, authorized Ombudsman personnel will have role-based, read-only access to relevant PhilGEPS data for investigation, prosecution and corruption prevention, subject to privacy and security safeguards.
The access covers procurement records from planning to implementation, including supplier and merchant registration records, buyer profiles, bids, awards and contracts, as well as information on the beneficial owners behind corporate bidders.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said investigators previously had to formally request procurement records and wait for their transmission.
“What used to take weeks of correspondence can now be done in an afternoon,” Remulla said.
Tracing procurement links
Remulla said faster access to procurement information would help investigators verify evidence and identify connections or patterns that could point to attempts to circumvent procurement rules.
He cited schemes involving contractors bidding under different company names, officials splitting contracts to avoid public bidding, and networks of dummy corporations linked to the same individuals.
“These schemes depend on distance, on the assumption that no one will connect the dots,” Remulla said.
The data-sharing arrangement also allows the Ombudsman to provide PS-DBM with feedback on data inconsistencies, potential system improvements and areas where procurement rules may be exploited.
Access subject to safeguards
Remulla stressed that the agreement does not authorize indiscriminate searches of procurement information.
Under the agreement, access will be limited to authorized personnel and subject to authentication, authorization, logging, auditing and monitoring, while information obtained may be used only for authorized official purposes.
The agreement is anchored on Republic Act No. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act, Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act, and the constitutional mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman.
“This DSA is not simply about making data accessible; it is about ensuring that the data is accessed and processed responsibly, lawfully, and for clearly defined purposes,” PS-DBM Executive Director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong said.
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