FACED WITH A tall order to send corrupt government officials to jail, newly appointed Ombudsman Crispin Remulla cited the need to clean his backyard first if only to ensure that everything goes well in his pursuit for accountability.
To begin with, Remulla hinted at two issues — the dismissal of the pork barrel complaint against Senator Joel Villanueva and the so-called midnight appointments by his predecessor, retired Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
According to Remulla, Martires filled up over 200 positions at the Office of the Ombudsman before he retired.
Among those whom he claimed were new lawyers whose salaries are already equivalent with that of government bureau directors despite lack in litigation experience.
Remulla raised concerns that the high-level salary grades given to Martires’ appointees would cause demoralization among incumbent staff since the new hires had minimal experience compared with the permanent staff hired even before Martires became an Ombudsman.
Remulla specifically tagged individuals, some of whom are newly- minted lawyers, who secured positions with a salary grade 26 or 27, classified as “director-level” positions.
Such salary grades cover the following ranges, according to National Budget Circular 59:
Salary Grade 25- P111,727 to P124,591 monthly
Salary Grade 26- P126,252 to P140,788 monthly
Salary Grade 27- P142,663 to P158,723 monthly
“Sometimes it’s bad for morale when people just starting out get in with a salary grade of 26 or 27. That’s already director-level,” Remulla said in an ANC interview.
“That’s just a new lawyer. That’s not right,” he added.
Remulla also stressed that such practice affects the morale of long-serving and more qualified personnel within the office.
“It’s bad for morale when you bring in people who are less qualified than those who are already in the service,” he explained.
Remulla also expressed the need to personally form and vet his team, noting the significant number of personnel hired in July and the preceding months.
“When I form my team, I want to know them. I want to know the new recruits,” he said.
Asked if he would categorize the appointments made by the former ombudsman as “midnight appointees,” Remulla indicated that he would prefer to see cooperation first.
“Well, we will have to resort to the doctrine of midnight appointments if some of them resist. I just want full cooperation with them,” he said.
On October 20, Remulla said that he asked 204 appointees in his office to submit their courtesy resignations and re-apply for the same position.
Ninety-nine of these appointees, according to Remulla, hold salary grade 25 up.