During his second State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III announced that retired Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales was to be the new Ombudsman of the Philippines.
The President placed high expectations on her new leadership after former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez failed to tackle several high-profile cases. "Inaasahan ko nga po na sa taong ito masasampahan na ng kaso ang lahat ng nagkuntsabahan sa katiwalian at naging sanhi ng sitwasyong ating inabutan (I expect this year that cases would be filed against those who conspired to commit corruption and which caused the situation left to us),” President Aquino said in his speech.
The President added that under the new leadership, erring public officials would be prosecuted. "Kapag tayo ang nagsampa, matibay ang ebidensya, malinaw ang testimonya at siguradong walang lusot ang salarin (If we file cases, evidence is strong, testimonies are clear and culprits surely have no way out).”
