Hail to new anti-graft chief: Merceditas says Martires will be ‘independent, fair’

Former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez (FILE PHOTO)

Outgoing Associate Justice and newly-appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires would be an independent and fair anti-corruption crusader, former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said on Friday.

In an ambush interview at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Gutierrez lauded Martires, saying that he would be an “effective” Ombudsman, given his judicial experience and “untarnished reputation.”

Gutierrez was at the DOJ to attend the necrological services for the late Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Ricardo C. Puno Sr. who passed away at the age of 95.

“I would like to thank the President for appointing a very good person in my former office. The judicial experience of Justice Martires is more than enough,” Gutierrez told reporters.

“For my former colleagues at the Ombudsman, the hardworking men and women, please support the newly-appointed Ombudsman,” she said. “We should give him a chance. I’m sure he would be independent and fair.”

President Duterte announced on Thursday that he has appointed Martires as the new Ombudsman. He was also Duterte’s first appointee to the SC as new Associate Justice in March 2017.

Prior to his short stint at the SC, he had served as Sandiganbayan Associate Justice since October 2005 upon appointment by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Gutierrez believes that Martires had delivered a good job during his stint at the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court.

“He would know very well the problems that any investigation would face. He came from the Regional Trial Court, the Sandiganbayan, and the Supreme Court. What more would you want? His judicial experience is more than enough,” she said.   /vvp