Applications for chief, deputy judiciary marshals now open -- SC
The Supreme Court (SC) has opened the filing of applications for the posts of chief marshal and three deputy marshals for the Office of the Judiciary Marshal (OJM).
OJM was created in 2022 under Republic Act No. 11691, the Judiciary Marshals Act. It will be responsible for the security, safety, and protection of the members, officials, personnel, and property of the judiciary, including the integrity of the courts and judicial proceedings.
The SC said the OJM is one of the goals of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) under the target outcome of Efficiency. The SPJI recognizes that the safety and security of the members of the judiciary are crucial to preserving its independence.
It said the qualifications for chief marshal are:
• Natural-born citizen of the Philippines
• Preferably a member of the Philippine Bar
• Rank of at least a full Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the Philippine National Police (PNP) or Assistant Director in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with experience in investigation in all instances.
For the positions of deputy marshals who will be stationed in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, the qualifications are:
• Natural-born citizen of the Philippines
• Rank of at least a full Colonel in the AFP or the PNP or Assistant Regional Director of the NBI, with experience in investigation in all instances.
The SC said under Sections 7 and 8 of the Judiciary Marshals Act, a chief marshal or deputy marshal may nevertheless be appointed despite not having been a full Colonel of the AFP or the PNP, or an Assistant Director/Assistant Regional Director of the NBI, if he or she has a proven track record and adequate experience in investigation and law enforcement.
Applications should be submitted on or before Dec. 29 to the SC’s Administrative Services with the following documents:
• Application letter
• Latest and duly accomplished Personal Data Sheet, with Work Experience Sheet (CS Form 212, Rev. 2017)
• Birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority
• Official Transcript of Records
• Service Record
Earlier, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said that RA 11691 will be a great help not only to the SC but to the entire judiciary in ensuring an efficient and effective delivery of justice.
“Indeed, the creation of RA 11691 will not only secure, protect, and safeguard the Judiciary but will also boost the morale of its members, officials, and personnel at this time when there is the concern of the threats to judges and killings of lawyers,” Gesmundo said.
“’To threaten our judges and our lawyers is no less than an assault on the judiciary. To assault the judiciary is to shake the very bedrock on which the rule of law stands,” he pointed out.