Friday, April 29, 2011

STATEMENT ON THE RESIGNATION OF OMBUDSMAN GUTIERREZ

The threat of justice must have been too much for Merceditas Gutierrez to bear. Although a conviction through an impeachment trial was a desired outcome, the Black and White Movement joins our country in welcoming her resignation.

We are pleased that a major obstacle on the “daan na matuwid” has been removed. We expect the implications of her resignation to chill the hearts of Gutierrez’s former boss, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her family and her allies accused of corruption. There will now be fewer places for them to hide, less opportunity to thwart accountability.

We exhort President Aquino to continue clearing the way to righteousness by appointing an impartial, credible person of unquestionable integrity to the Office of the Ombudsman as soon as possible. And it would be right and just that her subordinates resign in solidarity with Ms. Gutierrez to give the new Ombudsman the latitude to appoint fresh, enthusiastic and competent legal eagles.

We pray that the new Ombudsman will work with haste to restore honor to the office and grant justice to those who yearn for it – Jun Lozada, the family of Ensign Philip Pestano, the farmers bilked by the Fertilizer Fund Scam, the complainants in the Mega Pacific Deal, the AFP in the matter of the Euro Generals Scandal, among so many others.

Now, indeed, justice and fairness will prevail. - END

No comments: