Access to information rigmarole
at the Office of the Ombudsman

Part 3 tells about the seemingly conflicted policies and practices on access to information and transparency in the Office of the Ombudsman under Gutierrez – how she and her deputies seem so stingy with data on one hand, while she keeps a high profile in the media as a newspaper columnist and radio/TV host, on the other, and even boasts about the Office’s initiatives to accord citizens access to Ombudsman databases.

Gutierrez has devoted big sums to communication projects that are designed to put the Ombudsman on high-profile mode and to allow the agency to engage citizens.

Yet while all procedures on accessing the Ombudsman’s key frontline services are spelled out on paper, actual experiences by some complainants, lawyers, and journalists reveal a side of the Office that is not very accessible and responsive to citizens’ needs.

A sidebar looks at specific experiences from complainants about this lack of accessibility and responsiveness, which include the ultra-tight security in Ombudsman facilities and the utter lack of feedback from the Office’s personnel about cases.