The Ombudsman of the Philippines, also known as Tanodbayan ng Pilipinas, is an

ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

responsible for investigating and prosecuting Philippine government officials accused of crimes, especially graft and corruption.

Functions

Under the

1987 Philippine Constitution The Constitution of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas'' or ''Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas'', Spanish: ''Constitución de la República de Filipinas'') is the constitution or the supreme law of the Republic of the Philippine ...

and the

Ombudsman Act of 1989 The Ombudsman of the Philippines, also known as Tanodbayan ng Pilipinas, is an ombudsman responsible for investigating and prosecuting Philippine government officials accused of crimes, especially graft and corruption. Functions Under the 1 ...

, the Office of the Ombudsman independently monitors all three branches of the government for political corruption. The Ombudsman "is principally tasked to investigate on its own or upon complaint by any person, in any form or manner, any act or omission of any public officer or employee, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations, which appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient." After an investigation, the Ombudsman files charges at the Sandiganbayan, a special anti-graft court. The Offices of the Ombudsman includes the Ombudsman's own office, along with offices for a team composed of a

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, the Ombudsman's second in command, and six other deputies who lead their respective divisions or bureaus.

History

The Office of the Ombudsman predates the 1987 Constitution. There have been several offices established under various presidents of the Philippines whose duties are now subsumed under the Office of the Ombudsman. President Elpidio Quirino established the Integrity Board in 1950; President Ramon Magsaysay, the Presidential Complaints and Action Commission in 1957; President Carlos P. Garcia, the Presidential Committee on Administration Performance Efficiency in 1958; President

Diosdado Macapagal Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the ninth president of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth vice president, serving from 19 ...

, the Presidential Anti-Graft Committee in 1962; and finally President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

, the Presidential Agency on Reform and Government Operations in 1966. In 1969, the Office of the Citizens Counselor was created by the Republic Act No. 6028. It was primarily designed to conduct fact-finding investigations and make recommendations to Congress and the President. The office was "not at all implemented." Subsequently, Marcos created the Complaints and Investigation Office in 1970 and the Presidential Administrative Assistance Committee in 1971. None of these were successful nor were independent. In the martial law-era 1973 Philippine Constitution (Sections 5 and 6, Article XIII), provided for the establishment of a special court called the Sandiganbayan and an office of the ombudsman called the Tanodbayan. On June 11, 1978, during martial law, the late dictator President

created by presidential decree the office of the Tanodbayan. The Tanodbayan was not independent but served at the pleasure of the president and could be removed at any time. After Marcos was overthrown in the 1986 People Power Revolution, President Corazon Aquino issued two Executive Orders (nos. 243 and 244) in July 1987 that established a new Office of the Ombudsman and transformed the Tanodbayan into the Office of the Special Prosecutor under the Ombudsman. Following the passage of the 1987 Constitution, the Ombudsman Act of 1989 was passed to define the roles and structure of the Office.

Officials

The Ombudsman and its subordinates are appointed by the President of the Philippines from a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council for a nonrenewable seven-year term. The Ombudsman can be removed from office only through impeachment.

List

References

External links

Office of the Ombudsman Official Website
{{Philippine Ombudsman Government of the Philippines

Ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...