1SAMBAYAN, a political coalition founded by former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, on Sunday expressed alarm over political interference in the Judicial and Bar Council’s (JBC) selection of the next Ombudsman.
The group cited the recent legal complaints against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, saying “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.”
Saying such tactics could undermine the autonomy of the JBC, 1SAMBAYAN emphasized that “allowing politically motivated legal challenges to influence this process would be a disservice to the Constitution and the Filipino people.”
It urged the JBC to uphold its duty to evaluate candidates based solely on merit, experience, and ethical standing.
“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 it will not be swayed by politically motivated tactics and will prioritize the selection of the most qualified and impartial candidate for Ombudsman,” the group stressed.
