'All systems go' for integrity, anti-corruption offices in judiciary -SC

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday said it is "all systems go" for two offices that will act on complaints against and investigate erring justices, judges, and court officials and employees.

The SC Public Information (SC PIO) said the court has approved the proposed amendments for the implementation of the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) and the Corruption Prevention and Investigation Office (CPIO).

These offices were created in 2018 but were "put on the back burner" to give way to a review of the JIB's functions and prevent duplicity with those of the Office of the Court Administration (OCA) and other offices, the SC PIO said.

The JIB will act on complaints against erring justices, judges, officers and employees of the judiciary. The CPIO, on the other hand, will investigate erring justices of the tertiary courts, judges and personnel of the lower courts, including the Shari’a Courts; and the officials and employees of the Office of the Jurisconsult, Court Administrator, Deputy Court Administrator, Assistant Court Administrators and their personnel.

The resolution approving the amendments will be published in a newspaper of general circulation on August 1, the SC PIO said.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta had committed to "weed out misfits from the judiciary" as part of his 10-point program as top magistrate.

Early into his appointment last year, Peralta said he would implement the JIB, whose functions would be "harmonized" with that of the OCA. -MDM, GMA News