MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Thursday that the next Ombudsman should possess integrity, intelligence, and insight.

​Cayetano, the Senate’s representative in the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said these qualities are “vital in detecting corruption at its earliest stages and acting before scandals erupt.”

​The senator made the remark after interviewing the first batch of Ombudsman applicants, whose screening would run until Sept. 2.

​Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said the office of the Ombudsman is not a prize but a responsibility. “It’s not a reward. It’s a tool for you to get something done. And, usually, that something is a problem that you can solve.”

​He stressed the need for vigilance in the selection process, saying the country’s “history of inefficiency, nepotism, and corruption makes it vital to choose wisely.”

​Cayetano said integrity is important because one’s intelligence would not matter if he or she is corrupt or unreliable.

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He also said that the Ombudsman should be able to “keep up with the way information spreads instantly in today’s digital world.”