Whistle-blowers want Chavez

MANILA, Philippines—The Whistle-blowers Association has nominated former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez to be the next Ombudsman.

The nomination was submitted to the Judicial and Bar Council which is tasked to draw up a short list of candidates for submission to the President.

The post was recently vacated by Merceditas Gutierrez who submitted her resignation early this month before the Senate could begin her impeachment trial.

The letter nominating Chavez was signed by fertilizer fund scam whistle-blower Jose Barredo, jueteng witness Sandra Cam, “Hello Garci” election fraud witness Vidal Doble and ballot secrecy folder whistle-blower Melchor Magdamo.

In their letter, the whistle-blowers said Chavez’s track record spoke of his commitment to the anticorruption crusade of the administration.

“Way back since the FQS (First Quarter Storm) of the ’70s, from the dark years of oppression under the tyrannical dictatorship, though the nine years of kleptocracy, and even until today, Francisco Ibrado Chavez has been the de facto Ombudsman of the People of the Philippines,” they said.

“Since he has been doing the job of an ombudsman for more than three decades, then by sheer logic, he deserves a nomination for the position of Ombudsman,” they said.

His actions, they said, might as well be made official.

According to them, Chavez has been involved in fighting scams and other acts involving the misuse of taxpayer money. He also has a clean reputation, they added, noting that because his integrity has “no blemish,” he was appointed solicitor general during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

They also cited the various cases and exposés Chavez had been involved in, including the Supreme Court nullification of two compromise agreements between the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Marcos family, and the high court’s nullification of the joint venture agreement between the Public Estates Authority and the Amari Coastal Bay Corp.

Chavez had also questioned the controversial Executive Order No. 464 of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before the Supreme Court, they said.

“Frank Chavez is a proven ‘war-time’ veteran. Up to now, he is the only one who took the risk of initiating the first and only nonnuisance plunder charge against the former most powerful personality in the Philippines,” they said.

Chavez had represented several of the whistle-blowers in the past.

Barredo said Saturday the group had informed Chavez of its intention to nominate him for Ombudsman.