The first time in the history of the House of Representative in the Philippines, that the house impeaches the Ombudsman.
On Tuesday morning the ‘House of Representatives’ mustered a votes more than enough to impeach ‘Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’.
As the court procedure to hear the case, the Senate needs at least two-thirds of vote to oust Gutierrez from office. But Gutierrez remains as Ombudsman until December 2012 to finish her 7-year term in the office.
The Lawmakers have enough evidences to put the Ombudsman into trial such as the following issues: the fertilizer fund scandal, Mega-Pacific deal, “Euro generals” scandal, NBN-ZTE scam, and the Philip Pestaño case.
All of the above cases redound to betrayal of public trust.
After several hours of proceedings, 212 voted to impeach Gutierrez, forty-six dissented while 4 abstained from voting and the impeachment articles were transmitted to the Senate.
Correction would be possible after some votes were mistakenly recorded, said Lorenzo Tañada Deputy Speaker told ANC.
One-third or 95-votes only of the House members were needed to impeach the Ombudsman.
Malacañang welcomes Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez impeachment. In the Palace during the press statement said, “The ‘House of Representative’ has made a history by improving articles of impeachment against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.”
“With this example, the House has ended the long era of impunity that stained the Philippine institution that made ridicule of the core principle of accountability protected in our Constitution,” said Edwin Lacierda Presidential spokesperson.
“Nobody is above scrutiny and nobody, above all the brazen, can escape the accountability,” added Lacierda.
“In transmitting the ‘Articles of Impeachment’ to the Senate, the House now has the task to make it effectively and vigorously combined juries of the Senate sitting as the ‘Court of Impeachment’ and to the people will be setting in judgment on the entire process.
The impeachment trial would mostly start when session resumes in May. The congress adjourns on March 25, said the Senators.