Duterte may appoint a woman as Ombudsman if qualified, says aspirant

President Rodrigo Duterte loves all women and if one is qualified to head an agency or body like the Office of the Ombudsman, he will appointment her, a female aspirant to the post said Wednesday.

Lawyer Edna Herrera-Batacan, who represented the President in some of the lawsuits he faced when he was mayor of Davao City, is confident that the chief executive will not look at the person’s gender but on qualifications when choosing the next Ombudsman.

The President is also the godfather of Herrera-Batacan’s eldest child. And Herrera-Batacan is also a graduate of San Beda College of Law, where the President also got his degree.

Herrera-Batacan is among the aspirants to the Ombudsman post, which will be vacated by Conchita Carpio-Morales when her term expires in July.

She was among the candidates interviewed by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

During the interview, she was asked about her thoughts on the President’s earlier pronouncement saying that the next Ombudsman should have integrity and not a woman.

“I think the President loves his mother so much,” Herrera-Batacan said. “He loves not only his mother but the women in his life – like Sara, his daughter; Elizabeth, the former wife, and then Honeyled, the second wife, and Kitty, his daughter,” Herrera-Batacan said.

“Lahat ay mahal nya naman ang mga babae kaya po hindi ako naniniwala na hindi sya maga-appoint kung competent po ang mga babae. Kung competent po ang babae, palagay ko, ia-appoint nya,” she added.

[He loves all women and I do not believe that he will not appoint one by reason of gender. If he thinks that the woman is competent, I believe he will appoint her.] /atm