Impeach Gutierrez sufficient in substance, moves forward By Charlie V. Manalo 09/08/2010

Impeach Gutierrez sufficient in substance, moves forward
By Charlie V. Manalo
09/08/2010

With an overwhelming vote, the House committee on justice determined two impeachment complaints filed against Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez being sufficient in substance, the first time ever that an impeach-ment complaint filed against an impeachable public official hurdled this stage at the House of Representatives. The committee earlier had ruled that the complaints were sufficient in form.

The committee voted 41 to 14 in favor of a ruling on substance in the first complaint. It voted 41 to 16 on the second with one abstention in the second complaint.

At the resumption of the impeachment hearing, the panel, chaired by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupaz declared the complaints filed by former Akbayan Representative Riza Hontiveros and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) national secretary Renato Reyes sufficient in substance, sending the case to its second stage, the determination on the sufficiency in ground.

In the determination of the sufficiency in grounds, the Ombudsman will be given 10 working days until September 21 to respond to the complaint. Thereafter, the complainants will be given three working days to file their rebuttal. Then, the Ombdusman will be given another three working days to file her rejoinder..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100908hed3.html