THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday approved the reorganization of the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) into the Judicial Integrity Office (JIO) in a bid to strengthen accountability and streamline the handling of administrative disciplinary cases within the Judiciary.
In a resolution penned by Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr., the SC en banc adopted A.M. No. 23-12-05-SC, placing the JIO under the direct supervision and control of the High Court.
The JIO will replace the five-member board with a single Judicial Integrity Officer, who will serve a four-year term and may be reappointed once.
The officer must be at least 45 years old, have 15 years of legal practice, and possess investigative experience. The post carries a Salary Grade 30, Step 8 compensation.
It is empowered to receive and investigate administrative complaints against justices, judges, and judiciary employees, as well as officials of offices under the SC, including the Court Administrator, the Philippine Judicial Academy, and the Judicial and Bar Council.
It can also issue subpoenas, recommend preventive suspensions, and initiate fact-finding on its own or through referrals from agencies such as the Ombudsman or the Civil Service Commission.
For less serious cases, the office will require mandatory grievance conferences before assigning docket numbers, introducing a dispute resolution mechanism within the judiciary for the first time. Complaints against members of the SC, however, will remain under the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction.
During the transition period, the acting JIB chairperson will serve as Judicial Integrity Officer, while current members will act as consultants.
The reorganization also renders the Corruption Prevention and Investigation Office functus officio, with its functions absorbed by the Judiciary Marshals pursuant to Republic Act No. 11691.
The new office will take effect 15 days after publication, with the SC set to draft the JIO’s internal rules within a month. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
