The Supreme Court (SC) has transformed its Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) into the Judicial Integrity Office (JIO) to strengthen and expedite investigations into administrative complaints involving members of the judiciary and their personnel. This reorganization grants the JIO extensive authority to conduct fact-finding inquiries and recommend appropriate sanctions or clemency for justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and Shari'ah High Court.

The JIO's jurisdiction extends to judges of all trial courts, including Shari'ah district and circuit courts, as well as officials and employees across all courts under the judiciary's supervision, including the Supreme Court itself. It also covers personnel in offices supervised by the SC such as the Office of the Court Administrator, Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial and Bar Council, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education, and the Office of the Judiciary Marshals.

All administrative complaints will now be filed directly with the JIO. Complaints received by any court or judiciary office must be promptly forwarded to the JIO for assessment. Complaints against Supreme Court justices, whether anonymous or not, will be handled exclusively by the SC’s Ethics Committee.

In addition to receiving complaints, the JIO holds the power to initiate investigations independently, upon the SC's instruction, or through referrals from agencies like the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Office of the Ombudsman, and Department of Justice. The office, led by the judicial integrity officer, evaluates all complaints and submits findings and recommendations to the full court.

The JIO is empowered to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents and may recommend the preventive suspension of respondents during investigations. For minor offenses involving individuals from the same judiciary office or court, it mandates a mandatory grievance conference conducted by the judicial integrity officer before cases are docketed.

This change is formalized through a resolution authored by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr., approved by the full Supreme Court under Administrative Matter No. 23-12-05-SC. It aligns with the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, aiming to improve the JIB’s capacity and processes.

Following an organizational review since the JIB's establishment in 2020, a Technical Working Group recommended replacing the five-member board with a single judicial integrity officer appointed by the Court. The officer will serve a four-year term with one possible reappointment and may be replaced upon the retirement of the sitting Chief Justice, based on the incoming Chief Justice’s recommendation.

Qualifications for the judicial integrity officer include being at least 45 years old, possessing a minimum of 15 years in legal practice, and having relevant experience in handling administrative complaints. To preserve impartiality, the officer must not be related within the third degree to any incumbent appellate justice, trial court judge, or judiciary employee.

During the transition, the acting JIB chairperson will assume the role of judicial integrity officer, while existing board members will serve as consultants until their terms expire. Current JIB staff will be integrated into the JIO pending approval of its staffing plan.

Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court maintains administrative supervision over all courts and personnel and holds the power to discipline lower court judges, including dismissal.

In endorsing the resolution establishing the JIO, the SC stated: "The Court will not hesitate to rid its ranks of undesirables who undermine its efforts towards an effective and efficient administration of justice, thus tainting its image in the eyes of the public."