THE flood of anomalies in flood control projects lays bare the systemic networks of collusion among politicians, contractors, and public officials. The controversy could very well be just scratching the surface, the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
Meanwhile, the people could only rage against the shameless display of ostentatious wealth and luxury by contractors and politicians, likely financed by ill-gotten public funds.
Amidst this impunity, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the President must make a bold and correct choice for the next Ombudsman, on behalf of the best interests of the people and the public coffers.
The Ombudsman is neither a peripheral office nor merely a personal career destination in the legal profession.
It is the institution designed by the 1987 Constitution and The Ombudsman Act to confront corruption head-on.
The Ombudsman is vested with immense powers so it could vigorously investigate motu proprio, prosecute the powerful, discipline erring officials, and recommend reforms that cut through entrenched practices of corruption and abuse of state resources.
It was created to rise above political loyalties and serve as the public’s sentinel, the Protector of the People.
Presently the JBC is performing the crucial task of evaluating the qualifications of 17 applicants. The scheduled interviews started on August 28 and will be done by Tuesday, September 2. Forthwith, the JBC will then submit its recommendations and from this pool the President will appoint the next Ombudsman.
Transparency, accountability, and good governance are values that seem headed for total collapse, given the massive corruption in flood control projects.
And as sure as night follows day, the story repeats on a bigger scale in the procurement of roads and bridges, school buildings, medicine and medical equipment, information and communication tools, among other big-ticket goods and services.
A competent Ombudsman, fiercely independent, with unquestionable integrity, immune from partisan politics, and possessed of the courage to take on the most difficult and complex cases – this is our crying need, our fervent want, our desperate common prayer.
We cannot afford an Ombudsman who is timid, compromised, or beholden. We need one who will not blink in the face of political pressure and who will use the office’s full powers to uncover, prosecute, and prevent corruption.
The responsibility now lies with the JBC and, ultimately, with the President. Their choice will be a test of whether official pledges to fight corruption will translate to real and decisive action.
We need and want, and deserve, an Ombudsman who will send the crooks to jail and restore our faith in public accountability, transparency, good governance, and genuine public service.
Download statement here: Wanted: A True “Protector of the People” for Ombudsman