Ombudsman seeks due process

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez asked lawmakers yesterday for the opportunity to give her side on the complaint lodged against her, despite the signature campaign in Congress to speed up her impeachment.

Gutierrez told reporters during her visit to the Bureau of Customs yesterday morning that the members of the House of Representatives should decide on the impeachment complaints filed against her.

“I leave it up to (Congress) to decide on the impeachment complaint,” said Gutierrez.

“There should be due process and I should be given the opportunity to air my side. Am I not right that my position on the issue should also be heard? Anyone has a right and this should be accorded,” she said.

There were reports that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. rejected calls to speed up the process of impeaching Gutierrez through a signature campaign, believing that due process should be observed.

Informed of Belmonte’s statement, Gutierrez said: “I respect the comments of the Speaker.”

The House committee on justice had reportedly declared that the two complaints filed by the party-list groups Akbayan and Bayan Muna were sufficient in form.

The panel chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas is expected to vote next week if the documents calling for her ouster were sufficient in substance and if they should be consolidated.

Gathering signatures is another method for impeachment.

In the case of Gutierrez, the proponents have to gather signatures of at least 90 congressmen before the complaint would be forwarded to the Senate.

Once the required number of signatures is met, there would be no need for committee hearings.