Is there undue pressure being put on the selection of the next Ombudsman?
The democracy advocacy coalition 1SAMBAYAN, led by a former Supreme Court associate justice, believes there is and wants the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to resist political pressure and interference.
The group questioned the timing of the legal complaints against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who is a top contender for the post.
“The timing and nature of these cases against Secretary Remulla raise serious concerns that they are intended to unduly influence the JBC’s deliberations and potentially disqualify a prospective nominee based on political considerations rather than merit,” said 1Sambayan.
It warned that such maneuvers could undermine the JBC’s independence, and allowing politically motivated legal challenges to influence this process would be a disservice to the Constitution and the Filipino people.
The coalition issued a manifesto urging the JBC to uphold its duty to evaluate candidates based solely on merit, experience, and ethical standing.
1SAMBAYAN said it believes the JBC must resolutely uphold its independence and resist any attempts to politicize the selection process; it must evaluate all candidates for Ombudsman based on their merits and qualifications.
The group stated, “The integrity of the Ombudsman selection process, and the credibility of the JBC itself, are at stake. The JBC must send a clear message that politically motivated tactics will not sway it and will prioritize the selection of the most qualified and impartial candidate for Ombudsman.”