Ombudsman position is 'natural magnet' for justices —Sandiganbayan chief

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg said Friday that her application to be the next Ombudsman is a natural inclination given her familiarity with government prosecutors’ work.

“Yes, I applied for the Ombudsman post, together with one of my colleagues here, Sandiganbayan [Associate Justice] Mike (Michael) Musngi. I think the Office of the Ombudsman or its deputy is a natural magnet for the Sandiganbayan [justices] because we interact with the Ombudsman every day,” Econg told reporters.

“Our prosecutors come from the Ombudsman. Our cases are filed by the Ombudsman. So the awareness of the office and its functions is not strange to us. That's why we are thinking of applying for that position. And as a matter of fact, we thought of applying and we did apply for that position,” she added.

The incumbent Ombudsman, Samuel Martires, also served as one of the Associate Justices of the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court before he was appointed as top graft-buster in the government in July 2018.

Martires’ seven-year term ends on July 27.

In the event she is appointed Ombudsman, Econg will have a seven-year term, too, as provided by the Ombudsman law. This means her Ombudsman tenure will be shorter compared with her remaining 12-year tenure as Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice, which will only end when she retires at 70 years old.

Econg said that the shorter tenure as an Ombudsman is not a demotion but a chance to serve more people.

“The position of the Ombudsman is the same rank as the Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice. And it's the same rank as Salary Grade 31, just like the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. So, it's not a demotion,” she said.

“But we have dreams, and it's my way of reaching my dream to serve more people and to work for the good of our country. Of course, the position of the Presiding Justice is noble [too]. I am very grateful that I have been appointed, and I want to serve the Sandiganbayan as well,” she added.

Applicants for the Ombudsman post include: Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario Lopez, former Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, former Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, among others. —LDF, GMA Integrated News