The Philippine Online Chronicles

If you have “unquestionable integrity,” a license to practice law, competence and experience, then you might want to apply as a graft investigator or prosecutor at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Such is the need of new Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales who is seeking to augment her agency’s workforce with a hundred new lawyers.

According to Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas Pelagio Apostol, lack of prosecutors is one reason why cases languish at the Office of the Ombudsman.

The staffing summary of the agency shows that the number of positions was reduced starting 2010, from 2,173 in 2009 to only 1,059 in 2010.

Based on a Sandiganbayan report, for the first four months of 2010, the Ombudsman had a conviction rate of 12.9% with 8 convictions out of 62 cases filed. This is less than the 28.71% average conviction rate for the years 1979 to 2008.

The hiring of new prosecution officers and assistant special prosecutors is one of the first things Carpio-Morales wanted to address.

At the moment, she has not yet granted media interviews as she is busy conducting and overseeing an assessment and review of the existing systems and programs of the office though consultations. She reportedly met with Merceditas Gutierrez last Tuesday but what transpired during the meeting was not revealed.

Interested applicants should wait for advisories posted in the website www.ombudsman.gov.ph.

According to Inquirer, high-profile cases filed before the Office of the Ombudsman include former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s liability on the alleged misuse of the P728 million fertilizer fund in 2004 and the plunder case (also against her) involving intelligence funds allotted to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.