President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday has appointed Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Dante Flores Vargas as the new Acting Ombudsman.
According to the report of RH Val Gonzales on "Rapido Hataw Balita," Vargas, who was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as Deputy Ombudsman in March 2022, takes over following the retirement of Ombudsman Samuel Martires, who completed his seven-year term.
Before his appointment as Ombudsman for the Visayas, Vargas served as Graft Investigation Officer II at the Office of the Ombudsman from 1988 to 1993, and as Legal Officer IV at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The Ombudsman serves as the government’s chief investigator and prosecutor of administrative and criminal cases against erring public officials and employees.
On July 28, Marcos earlier designated Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo as officer-in-charge of the Office of the Ombudsman pending the appointment of a new chief.
On August 15, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) released the official list of 17 applicants for the Ombudsman post.
The Palace has yet to provide further details on Vargas’ appointment, including the duration of his term as Acting Ombudsman.
