Sunday, March 06, 2011

Gov’t Offices Need Resident Ombudsman Coordinators


The Office of the Ombudsman is requesting all government offices, including constitutional bodies, national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges and local government units to designate their respective Resident Ombudsman Coordinators.

The designation of a Resident Ombudsman Coordinator is the subject of Administrative Order No. 22, Series of 2011, issued by Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez, which provides for the general guidelines on the functions, organization and operation of Resident Ombudsman Coordinators.

The coordinator, to be designated by the Office of the Ombudsman after a nomination and screening process, shall act as a "strategic partner" of the Office of the Ombudsman in anti-corruption education, corruption prevention, public assistance, monitoring compliance with existing laws and directives, and the dissemination of the programs, accomplishments and related initiatives of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Among the existing laws and directives whose compliance should be monitored are the submission of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards (Republic Act No. 6713), implementation of the Government Procurement Reform Law (Republic Act No. 9184) in relation to Office Order No. 66, Series of 2006, and implementation of the Anti-Red Tape Law or Republic Act No. 9485.

A resident Ombuds-man coordinator shall serve for a term of three years and he or she may be re-nominated to the position.

Evangeline G. Nunal, Associate Graft Investigation Officer III and In-Charge of the Public Assistance, Mediation Graft Prevention Unit of the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, said that all incumbent non-organic Resident Ombuds-men shall continue to function as Resident Ombudsman Coordinator of their respective offices in Western Visayas.

Nunal, who is also the Public Information Officer of the agency, said other offices in the region without a resident Ombudsman coordinator yet are encouraged to submit a list of nominees addressed to Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio S. Apostol, thru Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Office Director Carla Juris N. Tanco. /MP

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