MANILA, Philippines—Employees of the Office of the Ombudsman are praying for Merci.
On Monday, they came out to support their beleaguered chief, holding a program during lunch break to extol her virtues, thank her for the benefits she had showered upon them and denounce what they said was the unfair treatment she was getting from the House justice committee.
The personal spokesperson of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said lawmakers wanted to unseat Gutierrez to replace her with a friendlier Ombudsman because a number of them were facing cases filed in the agency.
Around 150 employees, all in white, gathered at the agency’s conference hall and launched a signature campaign in Gutierrez’s favor.
They plan to hold a similar program on Tuesday, when the House justice committee is scheduled to vote on the determination of probable cause that Gutierrez betrayed the public trust. She earlier said she was not inclined to appear before the committee.
“We, the officers and members of the Ombudsman Employees Association, stand in support of the Honorable Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez. We urge you to continue your efforts in bringing to an end the reign of corruption that threatens the very existence of public service,” the employees’ statement read.
About 300 of the 500 employees in the Ombudsman’s central office have signed the letter.
They also said that they initiated these actions on their own.
Director for Luzon Wilbert Candelaria said the agency’s employees loved Gutierrez, held her in very high esteem and knew what she achieved while in office.
“We are bombarding the very gates of heaven with our most fervent prayers and supplication that God himself, the God of truth, justice and righteousness will be her own protector and defender, and that God will grant her a double portion of strength and courage so that in the end, when all the clouds of political intrigue and machinations have all gone, we will see her standing tall, strong and unbowed,” Candelaria said during the program.
Deputy Special Prosecutor John Turalba also said the impeachment case was not Gutierrez’s fight alone, but also that of the agency and its people. “Our reputation is at stake,” Turalba said.’
He said Gutierrez had not interfered in cases to protect anyone, contrary to what her critics claimed.