“Our people do not need an Ombudsman who will stand on the sidelines while public funds are plundered. The times require an Ombudsman who will stand firmly for accountability, transparency, and good governance”, Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
With the interviews for Ombudsman candidates concluding Tuesday, the responsibility now rests with the Judicial and Bar Council to put forward only the best names for the President’s consideration, Benitez said.
The Ombudsman’s post became vacant after Samuel Martires’ seven-year term ended on July 27 and under the Constitution the president has until Oct. 25 to appoint a replacement.
“We have seen what happens when corruption is left unchecked: chronic flooding, ghost projects, and wasted resources. The public has expressed shock and outrage upon seeing the unexplained excessive wealth of contractors flaunted on social media and exposed in congressional hearings,” Benitez said.
The next Ombudsman must be someone with the courage, competence, and integrity to make sure this impunity does not continue, Benitez said.
Ideally, the Ombudsman must have real experience in dealing with corruption, because the office’s mission is to fight it, he said.*