Judicial and Bar Council starts screening for new Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has announced the start of the screening process for the top post at the Office of the Ombudsman, which would be vacated by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales when she retires on July 26. 

Morales, 76, served as Supreme Court (SC) associate justice before she was appointed by former president Benigno Aquino III to the anti-graft office in 2011.  

She is the sister of Lucas Carpio Jr., husband of retired Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Agnes Reyes Carpio. Lucas and Agnes are the parents of Mans Carpio, husband of President Duterte’s daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.  

While Morales and Duterte are related by affinity, the feisty ombudsman has criticized the President’s bloody war on illegal drugs. She also pursued the probe into the wealth of the President and the first family. 

 Aside from the top anti-graft post, the JBC is also accepting applications and recommendations for the position of SC associate justice to fill the post that would be vacated by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. who will retire on Aug. 8. 

Velasco, who turns 70 on Aug. 8, previously served as Department of Justice undersecretary and was appointed as CA justice before his promotion to the SC.

The JBC said that all applications and recommendations, including all the other required documents, must be submitted to the council not later than 4:30 p.m. of May 2.

Among the 17 needed documents are sworn statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN) for years 2016 and 2017 in case of applicants in government service, or for 2017 for those in the private sector; Income Tax Returns or Certificates of Compensation Payment/Tax Withheld for Years 2016 and 2017; and medical examination results.