Meet for resident ombudsmen of government agencies set

About 150 resident ombudsmen and regional directors of various government agencies in the Visayas are scheduled to meet with Tanodbayan Merceditas Gutierrez on April 24 and 25 to discuss the problems in their respective areas.

Acting Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca-Santiago said Gutierrez will speak before the participants in the second day of the conference that would be held at the EGI Resort and Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City.

She encouraged those resident ombudsmen who have some queries about their respective duties and functions to share these during the forum in the hope that these will be addressed immediately.

All government agencies, including local government units and government-owned and controlled corporations, are required to appoint its own Resident Ombudsman from among its officials and ordinary personnel.

But the Office of the Ombudsman or his Deputies, such as in the Visayas, on his own initiative, may appoint or designate any official or employee of a particular government office as Resident Ombudsman and may revoke and appoint motu propio.

The resident ombudsmen are tasked to attend to requests for assistance filed directly with their offices, report anomalies, irregular acts, unethical conduct or illegal activities committed by the officials and employees of the office.

They are also required to assist the Office of the Ombudsman in gathering evidences for cases under investigation.

Since the Office of the Ombudsman deputizes the resident ombudsmen, they are vested with the authority to conduct fact-finding inquiries should they find something unusual in their respective departments. - Rene U. Borromeo