Ombudsman: Noy can’t force me to quit
07/13/2010 Despite calls for her resignation, mostly coming from President Noynoy Aquino’s yellow supporters, and even a threat from Malacañang, as aired by presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda last week that the Palace will force her to resign, or get her impeached by its Liberal Party allies in the House of Representatives, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez yesterday, holding a press conference, stood her ground and stated categorically that she will not resign her position. She also stressed that it is only through impeachment that she can be removed, while pointing out that it is the legislature, not Malacañang, or the executive department that can impeach her. But Gutierrez also pointed out that there is no ground at all to impeach her, saying that being “close to the Arroyos” is not a ground for impeachment. “Like many constitutional officials, the Ombudsman has a fixed term and can be removed only by impeachment. The Constitution enumerates the specific grounds for impeachment. Alleged closeness to the appointing authority is not one of them,” she said. She also stressed that she has every intention to complete her fixed seven-year term as Ombudsman, which ends in December 2012. She was appointed in December 2005 by Arroyo, to whom she allegedly has close ties. Source: The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100713hed1.html |
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