President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed Thursday that he appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Martires as the country’s new Ombudsman.
“We have a new Ombudsman. I signed the appointment of Justice Martires,” said Duterte during his visit to Zamboanga Sibugay.
Duterte refused to give Martires any specific orders, saying he recognized the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman.
“I do not have the power to order you. You belong to a different department. We are independent,” he said. “My only statement to you is this: Do what is right. That’s it.”
The President described the newly-appointed Ombudsman as “bright, strict and fair.”
Martires, a graduate of San Beda College of Law, served as justice of the Sandiganbayan for 11 years. He was the President’s first appointee to the Supreme Court, assuming the position left by Conchita Carpio-Morales who became the Ombudsman. Her term ended July 26.
Aside from Martires, those on the Judicial and Bar Council shortlist were retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Edilberto Sandoval and private practitioner, Felito Ramirez.
Martires got six votes from the seven-member JBC, Sandoval got five while Ramirez got four.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court unanimously recommended the nomination of Martires to the JBC.
Martires’ appointment as Ombudsman means he will need to take an early retirement from the 15-member bench.
Morales on Thursday left her post after serving a full term of seven years.
She met with the other officials and employees of the Ombudsman to thank them and had lunch and dinner with them.
She reiterated she did not have any single regret in her seven years as graft-buster and that she was thankful for a job well done.
Duterte had accused Morales of “selective justice” and conspiring with opposition figures to oust him.
But Morales dismissed Duterte’s allegations as “fake news.”
“I know I am right in my own work so why should I be scared,” Morales said days before her retirement.
“As long as we have strong institutions, we don’t need strong people to run the government,” she added, emphasizing the importance of independent bodies like her office. With AFP