Covalima, 24 June 2025 — The Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Virgílio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan”, accompanied by the Director of PDHJ’s Maliana Territorial Delegation, Domingos Tavares, paid a courtesy visit to the President of the Covalima Municipal Authority, Miguel Armada Cardoso, to discuss closer collaboration on human rights and good governance issues in the municipality.
During the meeting, the Ombudsman proposed the deployment of two PDHJ focal points within the Covalima Municipal Administration. These officers will serve as accessible points of contact for the public to report complaints related to human rights violations and maladministration, especially for those unable to travel to Maliana or Dili.
Guterres emphasized the importance of making PDHJ services more available at the municipal level, noting that many community members face difficulties in accessing formal complaint mechanisms. He also raised concerns about public safety following recent reports on social media regarding unknown individuals allegedly harassing travellers along major roads—actions that undermine the community’s sense of security.
During the visit, the Ombudsman formally handed over PDHJ Monitoring Reports on human rights and governance issues in Timor-Leste to the President of the Municipal Authority.
He also raised a concern regarding the Movement of Personnel (MOP) process. Guterres urged the President to carefully verify the actual duration of each trip before signing the MOP. He stressed that the approved travel period must match the number of days the personnel will actually be on duty, to prevent misuse of public resources.
“If the MOP states one week, then the travel must genuinely last one week—not just two or three days. Anything less reflects poor governance and weak oversight,” he said.
In response, President Cardoso welcomed the initiative, expressing gratitude to PDHJ for its plan to strengthen its presence in Covalima. He emphasized that having focal points within the municipal structure would help improve public access to justice and encourage accountability at the local level.
“The presence of PDHJ will help ensure that complaints related to human rights and governance are handled promptly and professionally. We fully support the team and expect them to act impartially to reduce discrimination and strengthen justice in our municipality,” he said.
Regarding road safety concerns, the President assured that the municipal administration is actively coordinating with the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) and local authorities to monitor and take legal action against individuals or groups threatening public safety.
He also thanked the Ombudsman for his constructive recommendations on internal governance matters, especially regarding compliance with MOP protocols.
The meeting took place in the Covalima Municipal Authority’s main conference room, attended by the Municipal Secretary and all department directors.
This post is also available in: Tetun