MANILA- Acting Chief Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa and the Associate Justices were paid a courtesy visit by the Delegation from the Republic of Türkiye led by H.E. Şeref Malkoç, Chief Ombudsman, and H.E. Niyazi Evren Akyol, Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines on Tuesday morning, June 20, 2023, at the Supreme Court En Banc Session Hall in Ermita, Manila.
Chief Ombudsman Malkoç highlighted the warm welcome from the Philippine Judiciary and shared that whenever he goes abroad for official visits, he makes time to meet that country’s Ombudsman, the Judiciary, and the Minister of Justice to exchange experiences.
In response, Acting Chief Justice Caguioa expressed the Philippine Judiciary’s gratitude for the Republic of Türkiye’s support and assistance for the peace process in Mindanao.
While both parties acknowledged the different mandates of the Offices of the Ombudsman in their respective jurisdictions, Acting Chief Justice Caguioa echoed Türkiye Chief Ombudsman Malkoç’s suggestion as regards the exchange of best practices and experiences, and said: “Given the broad and expansive role of the Ombudsman, perhaps there can be practices in your Office that can be useful to us, even as we are the Judiciary, and maybe there are some practices that we are now doing that may be of use to you. Maybe this starts our relationship of an exchange of information that we can look forward to in the future.”
Acting Chief Justice Caguioa was joined by Associate Justices Amy J. Lazaro-Javier, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Mario V. Lopez, and Samuel H. Gaerlan; Deputy Court Administrator for Mindanao Leo T. Madrazo; Atty. Laura C.H. del Rosario, Deputy Clerk of Court and Judicial Reform Program Administrator, Program Management Office (PMO); and Atty. Reynaline Tan-Francisco, Chief Judicial Reform Program Officer, PMO. Accompanying Chief Ombudsman Malkoç and Ambassador Akyol were Mr. Zeki Furkan Kucuk, Deputy Head of Mission; Mr. Veysel Şirin, Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Ombudsman; and Mrs. Güniz Ateş, Foreign Relations Specialist.