From the halls of justice to the frontlines of charity, retired judge Felix Reyes has built a career defined by courage and service. Now at the helm of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), he says he is ready to take on another daunting challenge — steering the Office of the Ombudsman should he be tapped for the post.

“The first thing that I will have to do is study the organizational structure. And also, I will conduct an inventory of the personnel, as well as their respective functions,” Reyes told DAILY TRIBUNE.

“And then, I will conduct an inventory of the cases, including case aging. This is important because the next Ombudsman should fast-track the disposition of all pending cases.”

Reyes acknowledged that the agency has been weighed down by public skepticism.

“There is a need to have a complete organization — or an organized one, rather. I think that is what is best to be done by the next Ombudsman,” he said.

As PCSO chairman, Reyes oversees programs such as medical and financial aid, ambulance donations, and the “ChariTimba” relief drive. He said the shift from the bench to grassroots service has allowed him to connect directly with Filipinos in need.

“It’s nice that, more often than not, we are in front of Filipino people who are in need because of our programs,” he said, adding that he will personally lead another ChariTimba distribution on 15 September in three municipalities of Batangas, where each pail from the PCSO will contain essentials such as rice, canned goods, instant noodles and bottled water.

A record of courage

Before his PCSO appointment, Reyes gained recognition for presiding over some of the country’s most high-risk and high-profile cases. He convicted the Maute-ISIS rebels involved in the 2017 Marawi siege, handing down rare rulings under the Human Security Act and Republic Act 9851, the law on crimes against humanity.

Asked then where he found the courage to face such risks, Reyes pointed to his faith. “I keep on praying… I believe strong faith will save you,” he stressed.

Reyes believes his decades of experience as a prosecutor, judge, and president of the Philippine Judges Association — representing more or less 1,500 regional trial court judges nationwide — will help him lead the Ombudsman’s office.

When asked if he was ready to take on the challenging role, he replied, “Yes, I believe my experience will help me meet the challenges in the Office of the Ombudsman.”