FOLLOWING DISCLOSURE OVER the prevalence of midnight appointees, Ombudsman Crispin Remulla directed some 80 senior officials to submit their courtesy resignations as part of an ongoing reorganization of the Office of the Ombudsman.
Remulla likewise ordered the review of 204 new hires so the the Office of the Ombudsman could address the “midnight appointments” which took place months before his predecessor Samuel Martires retired.
Under Office Order 347 dated Oct. 22, Remulla directed officials holding Salary Grades 25 to 29 — including assistant ombudsmen, directors and senior graft investigators — to turn in their resignations within seven days from the issuance of the order.
“All officials and employees named herein shall continue to report for work and perform their normal duties and responsibilities until any action on the courtesy resignations is taken by the undersigned,” reads part of a statement issued bt the Office of the Ombudsman.
The appointments in question were made between May 29 and July 27.
THE BUTCHER’S LIST
Interestingly, Martires’ appointees occupying Salary Grades 24 and below were also encouraged to do the same “to show good faith.”
On Remulla’s list are Assistant Ombudsmen Nellie Golez and Maria Olivia Elena Roxas, as well as several directors IV, Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officers (GIPO), and assistant special prosecutors.
According to Remulla, the order covers a two-month period coinciding with the final stretch of Martires’ tenure. The former Ombudsman retired last July 27.
Remulla earlier clai.ed that the move was meant to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency even as he insisted that the review is “not a purge” but a necessary step to ensure that all appointments were properly vetted and made in good faith.
“Unfortunately, last July, there were 204 new hires in the Office of the Ombudsman,” Remulla said. “I will ask these 204 people to reapply — lest they be treated as midnight appointees.”
“I hope they’re all in good faith also, that they will reapply, and some of them will probably hand in their courtesy resignations just to show good faith,” he said.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Remulla said those hired in July were still under a six-month probationary period, making it easier to review their appointments without violating labor or civil service rules.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) previously offered to assist in evaluating the appointments made during the transition period.
Remulla, who took his oath as Ombudsman earlier this month, said the directive reflects his intent to restore order and integrity to the institution.
He noted that upon assuming office, he found that many vacancies expected to be open for reorganization had already been filled.
“You don’t want to arrive in a place and see that all the seats expected for your team have been suddenly filled up,” Remulla said. “That’s not how things should work.”
The courtesy resignation policy, he added, seeks to “reset” the office without immediately displacing personnel, while providing an opportunity for the incoming administration to assess merit, qualifications, and compliance with hiring standards.
REVERSAL OF POLICIES
Since assuming office, Remulla has also rolled back several controversial policies commensurated during Martires’ term.
Topping his list is the restoration of public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) — a transparency measure that had been severely restricted since 2019.
During Martires’ tenure, the Ombudsman required journalists and the public to secure notarized authorization from public officials before obtaining their SALNs, effectively limiting the scrutiny of wealth declarations.
Remulla cited the urgent need to reverse such policies as a matter of constitutional mandate of transparency.He has also revisited a number of pending or reversed disciplinary cases.
Earlier this month, he considered reinstating a 2016 dismissal order against Sen. Joel Villanueva for the alleged misuse of discretionary funds during his tenure as Cibac party-list representative.
REMULLA BACKS DOWN
He later backed down after discovering that Martires allegedly quietly overturned the order before leaving office.
While Remulla declined to comment further on Villanueva’s case, he said it was an example of why the Ombudsman needed to conduct a full review of actions taken in recent months, especially those made without public disclosure.
“We have to know where we stand on every matter left to us,” he said. “We cannot simply inherit decisions without understanding how and why they were made.”
Remulla described his early months in office as a period of institutional housecleaning, emphasizing that the reorganization is not meant to single out any individual, but to “renew confidence in the Office of the Ombudsman as an independent, credible institution.”
He said the resignations and reapplications will be reviewed individually, with due process observed.
NO NEED TO WORRY
He however assured that no immediate suspensions or dismissals are expected until after a full evaluation by the Human Resource Management Division (HRMD) and the Civil Service Commission.
“This is about good governance,” Remulla said. “We’re not out to punish anyone. We just need to ensure that everyone here serves under legitimate, transparent, and accountable appointments.”
Created under the 1987 Constitution, the Office of the Ombudsman serves as the chief anti-corruption agency of the government, tasked with investigating and prosecuting public officials accused of wrongdoing.
Remulla’s directive marks the broadest personnel review in the agency in recent years and emphasizes his effort to distinguish his administration from that of Martires — whose term was often criticized for limiting transparency and refusal to pursue high-profile corruption cases.
“We have to show that the Office of the Ombudsman is not beholden to anyone,” Remulla said. “This is how we begin restoring faith in public accountability.”