MANILA, Philippines—Despite a double whammy from the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on Tuesday insisted that she had done nothing wrong
“What I am fighting for is that I did not violate any law or our Constitution. I did not do anything that is not right [by] the people,” Gutierrez told reporters.
She also said that she would abide by the Supreme Court ruling, and that she hoped the lawmakers would follow proper processes as well.
As for the House justice committee vote finding probable cause for her impeachment, she said she had been expecting it all along.
Gutierrez issued a statement later Tuesday, saying that with the high court’s ruling, “there is nothing left for me but to face the impeachment complaints.”
She called on the public to closely study the issues involved, and said the impeachment proceedings illustrated how one’s reputation could be destroyed.
“This is definitely a time for the public to deeply discern the issues surrounding the impeachment proceedings as this shows how partisan politics and political harassment could destroy reputations and institutions and step on people’s constitutionally guaranteed rights,” she said, adding:
“My conscience is clean. I will continue to perform my duties as I have been doing these past years to the best of my ability and knowledge. I hope that our honorable legislators will still see the light of reason and justice in my case.”
Gutierrez also assailed President Aquino for telling his Liberal Party mates to impeach her.
“It is sad that the President himself has openly rallied his allies in the House … to impeach me, and as expected, the House justice committee has found probable cause and endorsed the two impeachment complaints filed against me,” she said.
CBCP forum
Before the high court’s dismissal of her appeal was made public, and as the justice committee was preparing to vote on whether the two impeachment complaints should be forwarded for plenary debate, Gutierrez told a forum held by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the Catholic Media Network that she had no intention of showing up at the House.
“I still have a pending motion for reconsideration at the Supreme Court. The question is not why I will not attend the congressional hearing, but why [the committee] cannot wait for the [high court] to issue a ruling,” she said in Filipino.
Gutierrez said the impeachment proceedings were but “a political exercise,” and that she would not be surprised if the committee voted for probable cause.
She said that should the case be elevated to the Senate, she would attend the trial there.
She scoffed at Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo’s statement that she was trying to scare at least four committee members with pending cases at her office by naming them publicly.
“They’re the ones who are trying to scare me. I was asked by the media to name them, so I did,” she said.
Gutierrez continued to deny that she had violated the Constitution and betrayed public trust by delaying “big fish” graft and corruption cases.
“There is no truth to that. I just let the evidence speak for itself. I have no track record of being pressured to decide on or delay cases,” she said.
Face the music
Also present at the forum was former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel who, while expressing respect for Gutierrez’s decision to boycott the impeachment proceedings, said he thought it would be best if she “face[d] the issues against [her].”
Asked by Gutierrez if it was fair for Mr. Aquino to urge his party mates to vote for her impeachment, Pimentel said: “If there is a complaint about a public official, they should be held accountable. No one is independent from the Constitution or the law.”
He said Congress should follow due process in the impeachment proceedings and that Gutierrez was entitled to all constitutional rights to defend herself.
He suggested that the proceedings be “opened to the public and covered by the media so that the people may make their own judgments.”
For his part, Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez belied reports that the Church had an official stand on the issue.
“We have no stand except for the rule of the law to be followed, to seek truth and to uphold justice,” he said.
Pep rally
Gutierrez, however, was not without support.
Employees of the Office of the Ombudsman, all dressed in blue, massed at the building’s lobby to welcome and cheer her at noon. They also sang “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”
The employees went with Gutierrez as she met with members of a group calling itself Samahang Kabataang Pinoy alliance.
The group gathered in front of the office compound to express support for Gutierrez and to call on Congress to stop the impeachment process.
Claiming to have no connection with the Ombudsman, the group members wore red ribbons and gave her red roses when she came to meet them at the gate.
They also had a “boodle fight” with Gutierrez, who took a few bites of a meal of rice, afritada and grilled bangus.
Gutierrez said she was overwhelmed by the show of support, and added she appreciated it because it was coming from those who know her.
Last night, Gutierrez and her supporters attended a Mass offered for her.
After the Mass, she thanked those who continued to believe in her and said she was happy about their presence.
She said Tuesday was a day she would never forget, and added that it was a time that she needed moral support.
Historic moment
But one of the complainants against Gutierrez said she did not have much of a chance.
Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said there was enough evidence to convict Gutierrez should the articles of impeachment reach the Senate.
He said the evidence, coming from the Senate and the Commission on Audit, comprised four volumes.
“We are in the throes of a historic moment in the fight to make our public officials and institutions accountable. As complainants, we vow to see this through to the end and remain vigilant throughout every stage of the process. Gutierrez’s days as Ombudsman are numbered,” Reyes said in a statement. With a report from Jaymee T. Gamil