House bares assignments of prosecutors in Merci case

MANILA, Philippines - The House Justice Committee has enumerated the designation of the 11-man prosecutors that will handle the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merciditas Gutierrez.

This after the committee met late Tuesday and divided among themselves the six articles of impeachment, according to justice committee chairman Niel Tupas Jr.

"We assigned specific article of impeachment to the members of the prosecution panel,” said Tupas.

Tupas and Representative Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte), vice chairman of the panel, will handle the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Neri Colmenares (Bayan Muna) and Lorenzo Tanada III (Quezon) were assigned to substantiate the “Euro Generals” issue.

Elpidio Barzaga (Cavite) and Magtanggol Gunigundo (Valenzuela) will present the Mega Pacific automation contract anomaly.

Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao (Akbayan) and Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro) were assigned to the case of Navy Ensign Philip Pestaño and the botched $328-million national broadband deal.

Fariñas and Miro Quimbo (Marikina) were tasked on the low conviction rate of the Office of Ombudsman, while Raul Daza (Northern Samar) has yet to get his assignment since he is still in the United States.

Tupas said that they will be hiring the services of private prosecutors who can help them in the case.

“We are free to choose our private prosecutors, people whom we are comfortable to work with,” he noted, referring to the The Firm, or the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco Law Office.

Early Tuesday, the House leadership named South Cotabato City Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes as public relations specialist, while party-list Reps. Sherwin Tugna of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption and Emmeline Aglipay of DIWA as the prosecution team’s spokespersons.