After Mercedita Gutierez vacated the post of the Ombudsman, several names came out as nominees.  According to reports there were 25 nominated personalities, public servants and aspirants. But among them topping the list of the human rights community are Atty. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and Atty. Marlon Manuel of the Alternative Law Group (ALG).

Atty. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno

“Our task–and our challenge–is to find safer ground. To find a path that can take us, eventually, to a world where life has meaning; where values count; and where we can say: This is where I want my children to grow up, instead of dreaming of a better life in distant shores.” —Atty. Chel Diokno

Source: www.facebook.com/DioknoForOmbudsman

Atty. Chel is the son of the late Jose “Ka Pepe” Wright Diokno.  He was formally nominated to the Ombudsman post to the Judicial and Bar Council by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the human rights organization his father founded during the dictatorial rule of President Ferdinand Marcos of which he is now the chairperson.

Pablito Sanidad and Theodore Te said in their nomination letter, “With his characteristic quiet dedication, high competence and manifest passion, he handled and oversaw cases involving the poor and disadvantaged who have comprised FLAG’s main clientele and its reason for being.”

According to FLAG Diokno’s skill, competence, and integrity make him the best choice as the replacement of Gutierrez, who was accused of inaction on several high-profile corruption cases that hounded the Arroyo administration [GMAnews.tv].

“We are confident that, at this time when the level of trust in the Office of the Ombudsman is extremely low, Atty. Diokno will restore that trust not just through ringing speeches but through the same hard work, passionate leadership, principled advocacy and exemplary service that has marked his life and career,” said the group [GMAnews.tv article].

A Fan page FB account was created by believers of Atty. Chel. See http://www.facebook.com/DioknoForOmbudsman

The FB account states that:
Ombudsman must be smart, independent, brave. An expert lawyer w/ track record of winning cases for ordinary Pinoys

Biography
Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno is the Founding Dean of De La Salle College of Law, Chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), former Special Counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, and one of the Philippines‘ foremost human rights lawyers.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Chel was born on Feb. 23, 1961, the eighth of ten children by Senator Jose W. Diokno and his wife Carmen. He was a teenager when his family suffered under Martial Law, but Chel managed to graduate high school with honors,… (read more)

Personal Information
Prominent human rights lawyer • Founding Dean, DLSU College of Law • General Counsel, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee • Chairman, Free Legal Assistance Group • Magna Cum Laude, Northern Illinois University • American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence • Gerardo Roxas Leadership Award

Atty. Marlon Manuel

“You cannot just be on the sidelines. You cannot just watch,” says Marlon Manuel of his more than a decade-long experience as a public interest litigator. “You cannot be at the forefront. You cannot do all the work. It’s always walking with the poor, working with them.”

“Along the way you meet people and convince them. You bring and explain the issues,” he adds. “And you allow the poor to talk, in their very eloquent manner of bringing their issues to those who are in positions of power. [The work] entails taking a long journey in pursuit of justice.”

Extracted from a Fan page in FB created in support of Atty. Marlon Manuel entitled Atty. Manuel Our ombudsman (http://www.facebook.com/atty.marlonmanuel)

Atty. Marlon was born on January 19, 1970, a fifth placer in the 1994 Bar Exam. He is the National Coordinator of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), a coalition of twenty (20) non-government organizations in the Philippines that adhere to the principles and values of alternative or social development-oriented law practice. These organizations have distinct programs for legal assistance that is primarily concerned with the pursuit of public interest, respect for human rights, and promotion of social justice (FB).

Former COMELEC chair Christian Monsod nominated Atty. Marlon Manuel.  They were together handling the case of the Sumilao farmers who struggled to regain their ancestral and agricultural lands.

“The underperformance of the Office of the Ombudsman is largely due to the fact that the appointing power invariably looks only at the legal credentials of nominees,” says the former COMELEC chair Christian Monsod.

“I am confident that Atty. Manuel could do this with ease, as proven by his solid track record on dealing with all kinds of people, from the high and the mighty, to the lowliest of the low. A strong empathy for the poor, a strong conviction for the rule of law, and a strong sense of public accountability—these are the driving qualities which make Marlon the best candidate.”

“Marlon will attract and inspire many young, competent and honest lawyers and experts from other disciplines into the Office to ensure that the work will be continued capably after him,” adds Monsod.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

An Honors graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law and a recipient of the Evelio Javier Leadership Award, he was president of the Ateneo Law Student Council in 1993 and placed Fifth in the 1994 Bar Examinations. He left a leading private law firm after a year and a half to work for Saligan, a member-organization of the ALG.

See their respective FB fan page accounts for more information. ECJr.

Related articles

• [In the news] 25 nominated for Ombudsman – JBC – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos (hronlineph.wordpress.com)
• [In the news] Palace welcomes initial list of Ombudsman nominees – Nation – GMA News Online – Latest Philippine News (hronlineph.wordpress.com)