Aquino calls for support in move to oust ombudsman

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III admitted on Wednesday that he wanted Merceditas Gutierrez out of the Office of the Ombudsman.

For the first time, the President called on people to support his call for the impeachment and removal of Gutierrez.

In a speech at a Philippine economic forum at the Mallberry Hotel here, the President said his government was serious in eliminating corruption in government institutions and that included appointing “the right people who will prosecute those who do such things.”

“This is why we called for the impeachment of the ombudsman. We cannot have deals such as ZTE, Megapacific, or NAIA3 hold back the country any longer,” Mr. Aquino said.

“The impeachment of the ombudsman is the strongest signal we can send to you right now that we are trying to put in place the kind of level playing field for your businesses to survive and prosper in the long term. As the Senate prepares to try the ombudsman, I urge you to support this and other efforts to fight corruption,” the President said.

Asked by reporters about his strong position against the ombudsman, he said: “I may be President but I am also a citizen of this republic. As a citizen of this republic, [I am] not happy with the performance of the ombudsman and her people.”

And while Aquino conceded that the Senate was an independent and co-equal body, he stressed he was “a citizen expressing my own opinion and I think I am still entitled to my opinion.”

The House of Representatives has voted to bring the articles of impeachment against Gutierrez to the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court in May when Congress returns from an almost two-month long recess.