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OMBUDSMAN APPOINTMENTS WATCH (2005) |
Updates
OAW JOURNAL OF EVENTS
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November 8 - JBC announces additional names of
applicants/nominees >> Read
more
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November
14 - Deadline of submission of reports on newly announced
candidates
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SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC INTERVIEWS >>
Read more
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December 1 - Oath-taking of Merceditas Gutierrez as Ombudsman
of the Republic of the Philippines
8 November 2005
Today, the JBC Secretariat announced
new applicants:
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Crispin B. Bravo
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Orlando
C. Casimiro
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Arturo M. de Castro
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Arno
V. Sanidad
The JBC Secretariat likewise announced
a deadline for submission of any sworn complaint, written report, or
opposition against the candidates no later than
5pm, November 14, 2005.
Note that this deadline is only applicable for reports submitted on
the newly-announced applicants.
TAN would appreciate any information
you may have on any of these candidates. Please submit to us
reports or comments on the applicants anytime this week [November
8-12], and we will gladly facilitate routing of such reports to the
JBC.
SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC INTERVIEWS
Public interviews are scheduled as
follows: [venue is at the
Justice’s Lounge, 7/F New Supreme Court Building,
Padre Faura St.,
Manila]
November 16, 9:00am
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Crispin Bravo
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Douglas Cagas
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Orlando
Casimiro
November 16, 2:00pm
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Arturo de Castro
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Gualberto dela Llana
November 17, 9:00am
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Victor Fernandez
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Remedios Fernandez
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Nicodemus Ferrer
November 17, 2:00pm
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Margarito Gervacio Jr.
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Merceditas Gutierrez
November 18, 9:00am
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Christopher Lock
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Diosdado Peralta
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Arno Sanidad
November 18, 2:00pm
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Dennis Villa-Ignacio
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Florencio Villarin
28 October 2005
As the lead
government agency in the fight against corruption, the Ombudsman’s
position is of critical importance. And choosing the right Ombudsman
can spell the difference between success and failure in combating
corruption. Therefore, close monitoring of the appointment process
by civil society groups is an imperative, specifically in ensuring
the transparency and accountability of the process.
On October 26,
2005, the Transparency and Accountability Network launched the
Ombudsman Watch 2005 Project with a national video conference. This
conference involved various regional partners from Cebu, Baguio and
Davao in order to generate public awareness and involvement in the
appointment process for the next Ombudsman.
On one hand, the
video conference generated quite a substantial amount of insight and
recommendations from all the access points. Questions regarding the
sustainability of Ombudsman Marcelo’s programs were answered by a
representative from the Office of the Ombudsman, Assistant Ombudsman
Evelyn Baliton. The OMB likewise gave civil society the reassurance
that the pending and ongoing cases with the Office will continue to
be processed.
Several individuals
and organizations from Cebu and Baguio also began to provide the
participants with information and insight on the candidates. The
participants shared what they knew of the applicants for the
position of Ombudsman, as well as gave recommendations on how to
improve the process.
Konsyensyang
Pilipino also took advantage of the video conference to announce
their nomination for former COMELEC Commissioner Christian Monsod as
the next Ombudsman and to soilicit support from various
non-government organizations and civil society groups for their
endorsement.
Due to mobilization
and scheduling problems, the access point for Davao had to be
cancelled.
back
ANNOUNCING OMB-WATCH 2005
On September 30, 2005, Ombudsman Simeon
P. Marcelo tendered his irrevocable resignation to President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo citing health reasons. This piece of news saddened
civil society, as Ombudsman Marcelo had become their shining beacon
of anti-corruption within the government.
Over the past years, anticorruption
efforts have been strengthened due to Marcelo’s support. It was he
who initiated contact with civil society to encourage them to work
with the government in the fight against corruption. His work,
particularly in the Lifestyle Check and Procurement projects, had
been silent yet effective.
Various government officials and staff
had been investigated for acts of graft and corruption and, when the
situation warranted, dismissed. There have been more complaints on
officials and staff resolved in the few years that Marcelo was
Ombudsman than in any other term.
His
resignation, effective November 30 of this year, is definitely a
loss, particularly for civil society groups and non-government
organizations that have been advocating for transparency and
accountability in the public sector.
In
July 2002, the Transparency and Accountability Network [TAN]
launched the Ombudsman Watch project with the objective of
increasing transparency and accountability of the appointment
process involving the Ombudsman. The campaign for transparency was
successful and resulted in the adoption of public interviews of
candidates for the relevant position in the Judicial and Bar Council
rules. Moreover, it resulted in the appointment of a credible,
independent and a person of integrity for the Ombudsman position -
Simeon Marcelo.
Although the president is given 90 days from the day of the vacancy,
the search for the next Ombudsman has already begun. Last October
3, the Judicial and Bar Council [JBC] published requests for
application for the position of Ombudsman, setting an October 15
deadline for submission.
On
October 17, the JBC announced the official list of candidates for
the position of Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines. This
announcement was published on The Philippine Star the next day, with
the invitation for the public to submit comments on any or all of
the candidates, derogatory or otherwise. The public has until
November 4 to respond to this invitation.
It is
in light of these events that TAN once again launches Ombudsman
Watch 2005, a project in which civil society groups and
non-government organizations will advocate strongly for
transparency, accountability, and participation in the Ombudsman
selection process.
The
main goal of this project is to increase public awareness of and
generate involvement in the appointment process for the next
Ombudsman, as well as the activities surrounding such appointment.
Consistent with the foregoing, the following are the specific
objectives of the project:
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To
encourage and work for civil society participation in the
appointment process to ensure transparency and accountability;
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To
raise the level of public awareness about the appointment process
and the activities surrounding the appointment process;
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To
ensure a credible appointment process; and
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To
work towards the sustainability of civil society participation in
the Judicial and Bar Council nomination and selection process.
To meet
these objectives, this project embarks on activities that will
promote transparency and accountability in the selection process,
and at the same time, encourage the participation of civil society
and the general public in the process by taking a good hard look on
the candidates.
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Launch of the OMB Watch 2005 Project and Videoconference with TAN
regional partners
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Development of the OMB Watch 2005 publication
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Generating media mileage and involvement
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Initiating talks with the JBC regarding sustaining civil society
participation in future OMB selection processes
As
the lead government agency in the fight against corruption, the
Ombudsman’s position is of critical importance. And choosing the
right Ombudsman can spell the difference between success and failure
in combating corruption. Therefore, close monitoring of the
appointment process by civil society groups is an imperative,
specifically in ensuring the transparency and accountability of the
process.
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