Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said the next Ombudsman should be chosen based on the “three I’s” — integrity, intelligence, and insight — qualities he stressed are vital in detecting corruption at its earliest stages and acting before scandals erupt.
Speaking with reporters after the interview of the first batch of Ombudsman applicants, Cayetano, the Senate’s representative in the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, emphasized the importance of these traits in the country’s top anti-graft watchdog.
“Kung may integrity at honest ka, pero mas matalino sa ‘yo lahat ng corrupt, wala rin mangyayari.”
“’Yung integrity kasi, kahit anong talino mo, kung corrupt ka o hindi ka mapagkakatiwalaan, bale-wala. Ngayon, kung may integrity at honest ka, pero mas matalino sa ‘yo lahat ng corrupt, wala rin mangyayari,” the veteran legislator said.
“’Yung insight, katulad nitong nangyari dito sa DPWH, medyo it’s the best-kept secret in the sense na ngayon lang pumutok. But it’s not a secret anymore,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The senator also noted that the Ombudsman must be able to keep up with the way information spreads instantly in today’s digital world.
“Iba na ‘yung age ngayon na instant ang news. Most of you now naka-cellphone na rather than those na naka-big cameras. Some of you, naka-post o naka-live na agad. So, kailangan up-to-date y’ung bagong Ombudsman sa mga bagong sistema na ganyan,” he said.
“The office is not a prize but a responsibility.”
Cayetano further said the office is not a prize but a responsibility.
“Ang power ay ibinibigay for God’s purpose, not for you. It’s not a reward. It’s a tool for you to get something done. And, usually, that something is a problem that you can solve,” he stressed.
Cayetano called for vigilance in the selection process, saying the country’s history of inefficiency, nepotism, and corruption makes it vital to choose wisely.
“Napakahalaga na tama ang mapili nating Ombudsman. Given ‘yung nangyayari ngayon sa DPWH, given ’yung perennial na nangyayari sa iba’t ibang departamento, having a very proactive but balanced Ombudsman will really change so much,” he concluded.
