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.

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​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.

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