The Supreme Court (SC) has reorganized the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) into the Judicial Integrity Office (JIO) to improve the handling of administrative disciplinary cases within the Judiciary.

The move aims to streamline processes and strengthen accountability among judges, officials, and employees of the courts.

This was stated in a resolution authored by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr. dated 4 March 2025. The SC En Banc approved A.M. No. 23-12-05-SC, formally creating the JIO under the supervision and control of the SC.

The SC said the reorganization is part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), which includes enhancing the JIB’s capacity and processes.

Established in 2020, the JIB underwent an organizational assessment and process mapping to evaluate its structure, functions, and management. A Technical Working Group (TWG) recommended creating the JIO, a proposal approved by the SC En Banc, replacing the five-member JIB with a single Judicial Integrity Officer appointed by the SC.

The Judicial Integrity Officer will serve a four-year term and may be reappointed once. A new officer may also be appointed upon the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice, based on the recommendation of the incoming Chief Justice.

Qualifications for the position include being at least 45 years old, having at least 15 years of legal practice, and possessing relevant experience in investigating and evaluating administrative complaints. The officer must not be related within the third degree to any incumbent Justice of the tertiary courts, any judge of the first- and second-level courts, or any official or employee of the Judiciary. The position carries a Salary Grade 30, Step 8.

Under its new structure, the JIO is empowered to conduct fact-finding investigations and recommend penalties or clemency under the law against presiding justices and associate justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, CTA, and Shari’ah High Court; judges of the first- and second-level courts, including Shari’ah District and Circuit Courts; and officials and employees of all courts, including the SC. It also covers officials and employees of offices under the SC’s supervision, including the Office of the Court Administrator, Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial and Bar Council, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education, and Office of the Judiciary Marshals.

The JIO will directly receive administrative complaints, and any complaint received by a court or office under the Judiciary must be immediately referred to the JIO for evaluation. Administrative complaints against SC members, whether anonymous or not, will be referred to the SC Ethics Committee.

The JIO may also initiate complaints on its own, upon the SC’s directive, or through referrals from agencies such as the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Audit, the Office of the Ombudsman, or the Department of Justice. The Judicial Integrity Officer will evaluate these complaints and submit a report with recommendations to the SC.

The JIO has the authority to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents and may recommend the preventive suspension of respondents during investigations.