By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Martires as the country's new Ombudsman, urging him to “do what is right.”
Supreme Court (SC) Justice Samuel R. Martires
(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) Martires, who led the shortlist of candidates for the Ombudsman post, will take the place of Conchita Carpio Morales whose seven-year term ended this month. “We have a new Ombudsman. I signed the appointment of Justice Martires,” the President said during his visit to ZamboangaSibugay. “He is bright and he's a fair man,” Duterte said about the new Ombudsman. Duterte declined to give any marching order to Martires and recognized the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman. “I do not have the power to order you. You belong to a different department. Independent tayo,” he told Martires. “Ang sabihin ko lang sa iyo. This is my statement: Do what is right. That's it,” he added. Martires, a graduate of San Beda College of Law, was the President's first appointee to the Supreme Court when he was appointed in 2017. Before his appointment to the High Court, he served as Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan. Before his Sandiganbayanpost, he was a judge of a regional trial court (RTC) based in Agoo, La Union. Martires passed the bar in 1976. He took up Master of Law at the University of Santo Tomas. From 1976, he engaged in a private law practice for almost 13 years. He was also a former assistant department manager at the now defunct Ministry of Human Settlements from 1979 to 1984, and legal officer of the then Department of Public Works, Transportation, and Communication from 1976 to 1979. (With a report from Rey G. Panaligan)
Supreme Court (SC) Justice Samuel R. Martires(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) Martires, who led the shortlist of candidates for the Ombudsman post, will take the place of Conchita Carpio Morales whose seven-year term ended this month. “We have a new Ombudsman. I signed the appointment of Justice Martires,” the President said during his visit to ZamboangaSibugay. “He is bright and he's a fair man,” Duterte said about the new Ombudsman. Duterte declined to give any marching order to Martires and recognized the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman. “I do not have the power to order you. You belong to a different department. Independent tayo,” he told Martires. “Ang sabihin ko lang sa iyo. This is my statement: Do what is right. That's it,” he added. Martires, a graduate of San Beda College of Law, was the President's first appointee to the Supreme Court when he was appointed in 2017. Before his appointment to the High Court, he served as Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan. Before his Sandiganbayanpost, he was a judge of a regional trial court (RTC) based in Agoo, La Union. Martires passed the bar in 1976. He took up Master of Law at the University of Santo Tomas. From 1976, he engaged in a private law practice for almost 13 years. He was also a former assistant department manager at the now defunct Ministry of Human Settlements from 1979 to 1984, and legal officer of the then Department of Public Works, Transportation, and Communication from 1976 to 1979. (With a report from Rey G. Panaligan)