OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla’s statement that he is considering the revival of an “investment Ombudsman” deserves serious attention, not simply because it offers another venue for complaints, but because it recognizes a recurring truth about government transactions in the Philippines: Red tape is not merely an administrative inconvenience. What makes the Ombudsman’s idea significant is that it brings the problem of red tape into the realm of public accountability, where delay, inefficiency and unlawful obstruction can be examined not only