The Supreme Court (SC) announced on Tuesday the reorganization of the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) into the Judicial Integrity Office (JIO) to improve how administrative disciplinary cases are handled within the judiciary.
In a resolution penned by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr., the SC En Banc approved A.M. No. 23-12-05-SC, which formally created the JIO under the supervision and control of the High Tribunal.
The Court emphasized it “will not hesitate to rid its ranks of undesirables who undermine its efforts towards an effective and efficient administration of justice, thus tainting its image in the eyes of the public.”
The JIO is empowered to conduct fact-finding investigations and recommend penalties or clemency under the law against appellate court justices and judges of first- and second-level courts.
The move is part of the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027. With this, the Corruption Prevention and Investigation Office has been declared functus officio, having completed its purpose with the enactment of the Judiciary Marshals Act.
