What is the Role of the Ombudsman?

Each year, the second Thursday in October is observed as Ombuds Day. The day provides the opportunity for these officials to share their roles and functions with the public. Today in Belize City, a ceremony was held at the Memorial Park to raise awareness on and highlight what the office of the Ombudsman does in Belize and how the work and outreach have advanced since 1999, when Belize first opened that office. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Each day, people endure injustices for which they often times cannot afford to pay legal fees for an attorney to argue over it in a court of law. But since 1999, the Office of the Ombudsman has been there to offer this kind of help to people who have been aggrieved, abused, or even marginalized. Today, on the occasion of Ombuds Day, we attended a ceremony in observance of this important office. Ombudsman, H. Gilbert Swazo shared with us what his office does.

Gilbert Swazo

Gilbert Swazo, Ombudsman of Belize

“We exist for people who suffer injustice, people who are vulnerable, people, who essentially are not getting the service that they believe that they deserve. We in the office need for those members of the general public to come and make the complaint because it is only through the complaint that we are able to do our job from the office of the Ombudsman. And that is a point that I want to emphasize. No need to suffer in silence. And the only way we know that you need help is you have to come to the office and make that written complaint and that starts the process.”

The people who call on the office of the Ombudsman quite frequently are inmates at the Belize Central Prison. C.E.O of Kolbe Foundation, Virgilio Murillo, told News Five that while many prisoners feel their rights are violated at the facility, he for one has a zero tolerance rule for abuse among prison wardens.

Virgilio Murillo

Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O, Kolbe Foundation

“There’s a common tendency for prisoners to mix discipline, uh, with torture. I will tell you that if I pick up that my guards are being abusive, and they’re ill treating prisoners or they’re torturing prisoners. I am the kind of person who will action that right away. I don’t need the Ombudsman or any human rights body for that matter to come and point out my – what you call it – inobservance of these illegal acts.”

Marion Ali

“It has never happened?”

Virgilio Murillo

“It has happened, but I tend to fire my people instantaneously.”

One group of persons who will now benefit from the expansion of the Ombudsman’s office are people with disabilities, as the Disability Desk Coordinator in the Ministry of Human Development, Marshall Nunez explains.

Marshall Nunez

Marshall Nunez, Coordinator, Disability Desk, Ministry of Human Dev.

“The persons who are living with disability are the most marginalized and several of us are from the lower economic bracket. So, and we do need legal advice and even access to justice. And I think the Ombudsman Office exists to provide that at very low or at no cost. And so it becomes very important that for persons who are living with disability reach out to the Ombudsman’s office because we do find ourselves in legal perils and so we need to get that kind of legal advice and support.”

Back when the Ombudsman Office opened in the year 2000, it was staffed with only three persons. But Belize’s first Ombudsman, Paul Rodriguez told us that they still managed to get a lot of work done.

Paul Rodriguez

Paul Rodriguez, Belize’s First Ombudsman

“People come to complain to you about a million and one things. And you really win the, the attention of people when you stop and listen to what they have to say. Very often, the very telling of the problem to the Ombudsman makes the person see what the problem really is and the person himself or herself finds a solution and goes about his business with the advice, if needed, of the Ombudsman.”

The Office of the Ombudsman is located at number ninety-one Freetown Road in Belize City. Marion Ali for News Five.