The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) submitted on Monday (October 6, 2025) the shortlist of candidates to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the position of Ombudsman.
Among the 7 candidates named were:
• Michael Aguinaldo – former chairman, Commission on Audit
• Stephen Cruz – retired Associate Justice, CA
• Samuel Gaerlan – Associate Justice, Supreme Court
• Anna Liza Logan – Deputy Executive Secretary, Office of the President
• Mario Lopez – retired Associate Justice, Supreme Court
• Michael Frederick Musngi – Associate Justice, Sandiganbayan
• Jesus Crispin Remulla – Secretary, Department of Justice
A total of 17 applicants were interviewed for the Ombudsman post, which was vacated by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires on July 27, 2025.
In an exclusive interview with Manila Standard, independent policy analyst and constitutionalist Michael Yusingco said two notable names in the list have direct personal and professional links to the president.
“If either of them is appointed Ombudsman, then it is clear that the President has no intention of leaving an anti-corruption legacy. His goal is clearly to undercut his political rivals and protect his clan after his term. But if he appoints someone here who has absolutely no link to him and his family, then it’s reasonable to expect a purge in the next three years,” he said
The 1987 Constitution provides that the Ombudsman and his deputies shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least six nominees prepared by the JBC, and from a list of three nominees for every vacancy thereafter.
Upon appointment this year, the Ombudsman shall serve until 2032 without reappointment.
