Gordon to Ombudsman: Resign out of delicadeza

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today called on Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to resign from her post out of delicadeza in order to salvage the anti-graft body from further embarrassment and regain its public trust and confidence.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon panel, said the Senate strongly denounces Gutierrez' inaction to address the people's cry for justice and resolution of corruption cases pending before her office, notably the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, allegedly engineered by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante.

"It seems that instead of apprehending the caravans of thieves, the Ombudsman has turned a blind eye and has allowed them to go on their merry way," he said.

"Out of delicadeza, dapat ng mag-resign ang Ombudsman dahil umaakyat na ang bilang ng mga taong nagsasabi na dapat na siyang mag-resign," he added.

The blue ribbon panel has added its voice to the mounting calls by some quarters led by the Coalition Against Corruption and the Makati Business Club for the Ombudsman's resignation, adding that the fertilizer fund scam case had been pending before her office for 1,300 days yet she did not act on it.

According to a survey by the Social Weather Stations, public belief on the sincerity of the Ombudsman in fighting corruption has decreased in the last three years. From a +22 rating in 2005, the Ombudsman's rating had gone down to +5 in 2006, +9 in 2007 and further down to +4 in 2008.

Gutierrez assumed her office on Dec. 1, 2005 after Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo cut short his term, which was supposed to end in 2009, and submitted his irrevocable resignation effective Nov. 30, citing health reasons.

Gordon said the Ombudsman's failure to perform its Constitutionally-mandated duty of bringing corruption cases before the Sandiganbayan has advanced the "coarsening of our political culture," which is facilitated by those who choose to be silent witnesses to evil deeds.

"We will not accept scandalous behaviors in government and in society. We will, instead, raise the standard of duty and accountability in our country," he said.

Gordon stressed that the President should not appoint friends to key positions in the government so that the officials would put the interest of the country first before self-interest and the interest of entities they are beholden to.

"This is why we recommended that should the Constitution be amended after the 2010 elections, the post of the Ombudsman should be made into elective than appointive to ensure that it has more independence from the Executive than what it has now," he said.