Ombudsman to form special team to look into the operations of ‘basura kings’

September 3, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he would designate a special team of investigators to look into the operations of the so-called “basura kings” involved in anomalous garbage collection contracts with local governments.

Remulla earlier alleged that waste management contracts have been the cash cow of many local officials.

He was asked about this during the Senate hearing on the Office of the Ombudsman’s budget, and he said that there are big haulers of garbage called “basura kings” who operate in major cities.

He said waste hauling contracts involve substantial amounts that offer opportunities for corruption.

“It’s big money for them, your honor, because the budgets for basura is so big that it can blind a lot of people into just making money out of it. I think for those who have been in politics for a long time, we’ve seen it happen. These basura kings are around the metropolis,” he said.

Asked if the Office of the Ombudsman has personnel looking into how local government officials make money from this, Remulla said he would create a special investigative team for this.

Remulla noted that garbage hauling begins with local governments and solid waste regulations, such as segregation and having proper sanitary landfills, are not usually followed.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources should have a bigger hand in it so that things would be better, he said.