Marcos appoints OIC Ombudsman

National

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has designated Justice Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo as officer-in-charge of the Office of the Ombudsman after the retirement of Samuel Martires.

The appointment of Punzalan-Castillo was confirmed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin through a text message sent to reporters on Monday, July 28, a report by Philstar said.

Bersamin added that interviews of aspirants for ombudsman by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) are expected to start after Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Punzalan-Castillo has been the special prosecutor of the Ombudsman since October of 2024.

Back in 2004, she was appointed to the Court of Appeals. She became presiding justice in November 2023 before retiring in September 2024 upon reaching the retirement age of 70.

Punzalan-Castillo started her legal career as an investigator in 1979 in the Office of the Tanodbayan and served until 1985 when she assumed the position of prosecutor in the same office.

She joined the judiciary as the presiding judge of Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 42, and served for six years from 1993 to 1999.

Punzalan-Castillo then became the presiding judge of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 from 1999 to 2004. She finished her Bachelor in Political Science in 1974 and earned her Bachelor of Laws in 1978 from the University of the Philippines. (Marlon Ado Jr., USC Comm Intern)