CIBAC Party-List Representative Sherwin Tugna lauded the enactment of the Republic Act 11059 or the "Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman."
"We in CIBAC Party-List welcome the signing of RA 11059. CIBAC, whose main advocacy is anti-corruption, has been pushing for the passage of this law since the 15th Congress," said Tugna.
"It is only fitting that our government recognize the need to provide the Office of the Ombudsman retirement benefits at par with other officials with prosecutorial and investigatory functions in the Judiciary given their invaluable contribution in our battle against corruption,” he added.
Tugna is the principal author of the RA 11059 in the House of Representatives. President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed the bill into law.
The said law aims to strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman by establishing a competitive retirement benefit system for its officials and employees.
"Now with the signing of RA 11059, we can finally claim that the government puts premium on the dedicated service of the country’s graft-busters,” he said.
The law covers the Ombudsman, his or her deputies, the special prosecutor, and other employees with salary grade 26 to 29, who are performing legal, prosecution, investigation, and corruption prevention functions, and whose position requires membership in the Philippine bar or a Master’s degree.
Under RA 11059, the Ombudsman, who has served a full term of seven years, would enjoy the same retirement and other benefits as those provided to the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals while
the deputies and the special prosecutor would be entitled to the same benefits being received by the Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals after serving for a full term of seven years.
All the other employees, meanwhile, would be entitled to receive the same retirement benefits as those of the judges in the lower courts with the same salary grades. (Keith A. Calayag/SunStar Philippines)