Manila: The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Thursday commenced its interviews for candidates vying for the position of Ombudsman.

According to Philippines News Agency, the first applicant to face the body was Michael Aguinaldo, who is the former chairperson of the Commission on Audit and the current chairperson of the Philippine Competition Commission. Aguinaldo expressed his commitment to recuse himself from cases involving any of his ten relatives working in the government, should those cases come before the Office of the Ombudsman.

During the interviews, candidates shared their perspectives on various issues, including the rules related to the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), the implementation of lifestyle checks, and the resolution of case backlogs in the Ombudsman's office. Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Romeo Benitez emphasized that while lifestyle checks are an initial step, they should lead to more substantial actions addressing the issues at hand. He advocated for including all individuals connected to a public official, whether by blood or marriage, in lifestyle checks as part of case development. Benitez also highlighted that the current law permits public access to officials' SALN, albeit with reasonable conditions, ensuring it is not an unrestricted right.

Private lawyer Jonie Caroche-Vestido, known for representing clients such as Francis Leo Marcos, proposed instilling a culture of reform centered around the concept of 'hiya' or shame to deter graft. She argued that a lack of shame is a significant issue currently.

Additionally, Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Bautista Corpin and retired CA justice Stephen Cruz were also interviewed by the JBC. Interviews for the remaining candidates are scheduled to continue into the following week.