Professional Documents
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Complaint against the Ombudsman Merceditas Guttierez is sufficient in substance
Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares (Bayan Muna)
According to the Rules on Impeachment of the House of Representatives, substance is
sufficiently established if an impeachment complaint contains “a recital of facts constituting the offense
charged and determinative of the jurisdiction of the committee”. In determining sufficiency in
substance, therefore, the issues that should be tackled by the Justice Committee are limited to:
(i) Does the recital of facts constitute the offense charged?
This simply means that, presuming the allegations in the complaints are true, these allegation shall
constitute the offense charged such that, for example, in an Impeachment Complaint which charges the
offense of corruption the Committee only need to ask whether the acts alleged in the complaint indeed
constitute corruption. On the charge of purposely shielding certain public officials from prosecution in
the complaint at bar, the Committee only needs to resolve whether the act of shielding indeed
constitutes betrayal of public trust. The Justice Committee does not need to look into, at least in this
stage, whether there is evidence to prove that there was intentional failure to investigate or prosecute,
since this will be tackled in the next stage where the Committee aims to establish whether or not
probable cause exist. It is in the probable cause hearing stage where evidence may be presented to
prove or disprove probable cause. If the committee will tackle at this stage the issue of whether the
allegations are true or if it is supported by evidence, then there is nothing to resolve in the “probable
cause hearing” stage. If the committee finds that the allegations, even if they were true, does not
constitute an offense, then the complaint shall be dismissed for insufficiency in substance.
(ii) Does the offense charge fall within the jurisdiction of the Justice Committee’s jurisdiction ?
The issue here is whether the offenses charged in the complaint indeed constitute at least one of the
grounds for impeachment under the Constitution. Even if the allegations do constitute an offense but
the very offense is not among the “impeachment offenses” under the Constitution then the Committee
does not have jurisdiction over the offenses since none of the offenses, even if proven true, can result in
the impeachment of the public official.
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If the committee finds that if the allegations constitute any of the impeachment offenses under
the Constitution, presuming they are true, then the complaint shall be then considered sufficient in
substance. Only after this determination can the Committee get to the next stage—that stage where
the Justice Committee aims to find out if there is evidence to support the allegations and there is
probable cause to impeach the said public official.
Endorsers of herein Impeachment Complaint find that the allegations in the complaint
constitute as impeachment offenses under the Constitution, and the complaint, therefore, is sufficient
in substance. The Endorsers, therefore, ask the committee to find the same sufficient in substance so
that the proceedings can move forward and require both the complainants and the respondents to
present evidence of their respective claims.
The Allegations constitute impeachment offenses under the Constitution
There is a crime but no criminal. The Supreme Court and the Senate found crimes were
committed by members of the Arroyo administration but the Ombudsman not only failed to prosecute
but even failed to investigate these public officials. There is a crime, but the Ombudsman does not
want to charge the criminal. This is the context within which the ombudsman is being charged, not
only with dereliction of duty but also of intentional misuse of office to harass opponents while
covering up for allies of the government.
Laws were violated in the case of the “Euro generals” who even admitted to their illegal acts but
the Ombudsman did not see them fit for prosecution. Such inaction is an ultimate fact which if true
constitutes the impeachable offense of betrayal of public trust.
Laws were violated in the fertilizer scam but the Ombudsman failed to act on charges filed with
the Ombudsman as early as 2004 and failed to prosecute former Usec Jocjoc Bolante despite the
misuse of hundreds of millions of pesos in overpriced fertilizer distributed to fake NGOs during the
election campaign of Pres. Gloria Arroyo. This is an ultimate fact which if proven true constitutes the
impeachable offense of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
While it took the Ombudsman years to file a defective case against Sec. Nani Perez, it took the
Ombudsman a short period to file cases against opponents of the Ombudsman and the Arroyo
administration such as Gov. Niel Tupas and Gov. Enrique Garcia. This is an ultimate fact which if
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proven true constitutes the impeachable offense of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of
the Constitution.
In short, the Ombudsman misused and abused her office in violation of the constitutional
mandate that public officials are accountable to the people at all times, not some times, but at all
times and that she should perform her task with integrity and efficiency.
At the very least, this Honorable Committee, must find something wrong with an ombudsman
who finds no reason to investigate even if the Supreme Court or the Senate declares that a crime was
committed in a public transaction. At the very least this Honorable Committee should find the
Ombudsman impeachable for violating the constitutional requirement that the Ombudsman should
act “promptly” on complaints, in any form, against public officials.
The Ombudsman Merciditas Guttierez, just like Pres. Gloria Arroyo, is “immune” from suit. The
only accountability mechanism left against “immune” public officials like the respondent, is the
mechanism of impeachment. To impeach the Ombudsman is not tantamount to finding her guilty. An
impeachment merely means that charges before the Senate may be filed against her so that
evidences, whether in her favor or against her, may be presented by her or by her accusers.
This Honorable Committee is asked to give life to this accountability mechanism not by
construing the rules in her favor, but in judiciously interpreting the rules in favor of the people, in
favor of accountability—for after all, public officials are accountable to the people at all times.
Imposible na ngang kasuhan ang mga opisyal na ito dahil sa immunity nila, pahirapan pa natin ang
taong bayan na naglakas ng loob na magsampa ng impeachment. Anyway, hindi naman makukulong
si Ombudsman kung ma impeach siya. Di rin siya matatanggal sa puwesto kung ma impeach siya. Ang
mangyari lang ay mag kakaroon ng proseso na kung saan siya at ang nag hahabla ay magkakaroon ng
oportunidad na mag presinta ng kanya kanyang ebidensiya.
Sabi ni ombudsman, handa siyang harapin ang mga bintang sa kanya. Handa siyang mag presinta
ng ebidensiya para kontrahin ang mga bintang sa kanya. Sino ba naman tayo sa Komiteng ito, ang
hahadlang para bigyan siya ng oportunidad na linisin ang pangalan niya.
Pag nagsampa ka ng kaso sa korte, inuutusan ng judge ang akusadong sumagot di po ba. Pag
nagsampa ka ng reklamo sa piskal, inuutusan ng piskal ang akusado na mag submit ng counter
affidavit di po ba? Ang tungkulin ng Komiteng ito ay hindi ang I dismiss ang complaint kundi utusan si
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Ombudsman Guttierez na sumagot para magpaliwanag. What this committee needs to do at this stage
is merely to find out if the complaint alleges facts which, if proven true, constitutes an impeachable
offense within the jurisdiction of this committee. That’s all. These allegations, even if they are
supported by evidence, need not be proved at this stage, otherwise there is nothing that this
Committee needs to find out in the next stage which is the finding of probable cause.
Ang kailangang alamin ng komite sa yugtong ito ay kung ang complaint ba ay may mga
alegasyon na kung mapatunayang totoo ay impeachable offense.
Public officials are accountable to the people—at all times, not sometimes, not a few times but
at all times. Ang Ombudsman ay may tungkuling pangalagaan ang interes ng mamamayan at
imbistigahan at kasuhan ang sinumang gumawa ng anuman aksyong naka pinsala sa sambayanan. Sa
halip, ginamit niya ang kanyang kapangyarihan para pagtakpan ang mga may salang kakampi ng
administrasyon habang mabilis niyang kinakasuhan ang mga kalaban niya o kalaban ng
administrasyong Arroyo. At dahil diyan, kailangan maimpeach siya para siya ay makasuhan at hayaan
na mailabas ang mga ebidensiyang pabor or kontra sa kanya para malaman ang katotohanan kung siya
ay may sala.
Yon lang po ang hinihingi dito sa yugtong ito.
Ang sabi ng complainants pag kaaway ng administrasyong Arroyo or ng ombudsman ang
akusado mabilis pa sa alas kwatro ang Ombudsman na mag sampa ng kaso. Pero kung kakampi ng
administrasyon ang kinakasuhan, taon ang aabutin bago mag sampa ng kaso ang ombudsman at sa
maraming beses ay di pa siya nag sampa ng kaso laban sa mga kakamping ito. Ito ay pag aabuso ng
Ombudsman sa kanyang kapangyarihan at dahil dito siya ay dapat ma impeach.
Bakit walang krimeng nakita ang ombudsman sa Fertilizer Scam na kung saan milyong milyung
piso ang nawala noong presidential election noong 2004 ?
Bakit walang krimeng nakita ang ombudsman sa kaso ng euro generals ng umaming patago
nilang nilabas sa bansa ang pera ng taumbayan nang hindi lamang sumunod sa wasto at legal na
proseso ?
Bakit agad agad may nakitang krimen ang Ombudsman kapag ang kinasuhan ay kaaway o
opposition katulad nj Gov. Tupas at Gov. Garcia ?
May substance ang complaint na nagsasabi ng recital of facts na:
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(i) Hindi nag imbistiga o nagsampa ng kaso ang Ombudsman kahit na sinabi ng Korte Suprema na
may iregularidad sa Mega pacific deal.
(ii) May substance ang complaint na nagsasabi ng recital of facts na walang ginawang imbistigasyon
o pagsampa ng kaso man lang ang Ombudsma laban sa “euro generals” kahit na sila’y umamin
ng paglabag sa batas .
(iii) May substance ang complaint na may recital of facts na nagsasabing hindi inimbistigahan o
sinampaan ng kaso si Usec Joc joc Bolante at iba pang kasabwat nito sa fertilizer scam.
(iv) At may substance din sa ibang alegasyon na kasangkot ang world bank, at iba pang mga kaso.
Luluhod din ang mga tala
Kung may krimen, may kriminal. Kung may sala, may nagkasala. Kung ating I dismiss ang
complaint na ito parang sinasabi ng komiteng ito na walang krimen sa fertilizer scam, parang sinabi ng
Komiteng ito na walang krimen sa euro generals scandal, parang sinasabi ng Komiteng ito na walang
krimen sa Mega Pacific deal, at walang krimen sa bidding ng mga kontrata sa World Bank.
What exists today is complete impunity. Impunity reigns when one commits a crime and gets
away with it. If we find no substance in this complaint, then we are breeding the kind of impunity
where one commits a crime and knows she can get away with it.
There will come a time when justice will catch up with those who committed crimes against the
Filipino people, against those who flouted our laws and trampled on human rights. Their patrons will
not be forever in power, and the corrupt will get the justice they so richly deserve. Darating din ang
araw na ang mga aroganteng public officials na gumawa ng krimen sa ilalim ng Arroyo administration
ay mapaparusahan. Bukas, luluhod din ang mga tala.
Public officials are accountable to the people at all times. Let us give life to this the
constitutional mechanism of accountability. Let us find this complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas
Guttierez sufficient in substance.
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