Ombudsman: Top-heavy management tied my hands in reorganization
Ombudsman Samuel Martires yesterday confirmed that his office has indeed been top-heavy, but clarified that he inherited such when he assumed office in July 2018, which, unfortunately, tied his hands in reorganizing the independent constitutional body.
“Our office hierarchy was entirely messed up. I just inherited the present organizational structure. I am in a ‘damned if you do, (damned) if you don’t’ situation,” Martires said.
The former Supreme Court and Sandiganbayan justice was referring to the 2020 Audit Observation Memorandum of the Commission on Audit (COA) that unraveled the confusion in the pay scale and rank or positions of personnel, where 64 percent of employees have been occupying “high-level positions” since at least 2017.
Martires’ predecessor was Conchita Carpio-Morales, who was appointed in July 2011.
“I agree with the report of the COA, and this situation is the one giving us nightmares in our reorganization plan,” Martires said, noting that the Office of the Ombudsman needs an “overhaul,” but employees will definitely be severely affected, one way or another.