Impeachment of Ombudsman to be ‘fair’ – justice committee chair

MANILA, Philippines – The chairman of the House of Representatives’ justice committee vowed a fair handling of the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. said formal hearings on the complaint could begin by the first or second week of September after it is referred to his committee.

“You can expect me to be very fair as chair,” he said in a phone interview.

In the 14th Congress, an impeachment complaint against Gutierrez that was eventually dismissed included the case of Tupas’ father, Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas, who had been ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman.

Tupas voted against the committee report on the earlier complaint.

Despite this, Tupas said both the complainants and Gutierrez in the new impeachment case can expect the justice committee to be fair.

He said he could not guarantee how his colleagues in the ruling Liberal Party would stand on the case, but noted that it is important to have the right person as Ombudsman in the Aquino administration’s fight against corruption.