Anti-graft court had fewest unresolved cases in nearly half a century in 2025

MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan closed 2025 with its lowest caseload in 47 years, its Judicial Records Division reported on Thursday, January 22. 

At the end of 2025, the court had handled 805 cases, the first time in nearly half a century that the number was not in the thousands. 

The only other time the number of cases dropped to three digits was in 1979, but that was not a full-year tally, meaning the year’s total could have been higher. 

The Sandiganbayan had its highest number of unresolved cases in 2017, with 5,493. Before 2025, the lowest number was in 2024, with 1,229 cases 

Before the all-time low caseload for 2025, the court completed the proceedings in 8,087 cases. These included newly filed cases, both criminal and civil, revived cases, and appeals from regional trial courts (RTCs).

Of those cases, only 4,468 were newly filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Majority of the cases investigated by the Ombudsman were filed with the RTCs, since Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10660 gives RTCs the “exclusive original jurisdiction” in cases where no damage or bribery to government is alleged or, if any such allegations are made, the amount involved is P1 million or less. 

For the whole of 2025, meanwhile, the Ombudsman only filed 97 cases with the anti-graft court. Most of that year was under then-Ombudsman Samuel Martires. The new chief graft-buster, Jesus Crispin Remulla, took over the reins of the office only in October. 

Remulla in his first three months as Ombudsman focused on those involved in the multi-billion-peso flood control corruption. – Rappler.com