Do you agree that Ombudsman Merci Gutierrez's impeachment will boost the fight against corruption, just as the President says?

MANUEL ABAN, METRO MANILA: No, the next Ombudsman will not only be indebted to P-Noy, but also to those who voted yes to the impeachment, many of whom have pending cases.

CARMELA RAMENTO, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: That’s a long shot, but it’s a good beginning. To clean one’s backyard is a much faster and easier way to address corruption.

It will be P-Noy’s legacy

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: Absolutely. I expect the impeachment to clean our graft-ridden judiciary. It will be Pres. Aquino’s legacy should the most influential protector of high-class scams and anomalies in our bureaucracy be removed from office.

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: Yes, the impeachment of Ombudsman Gutierrez will be one defining moment in his administration. The survey results reflect such sentiment that Gutierrez does not have the moral and legal ascendancy when she speaks of abiding by the Constitution and the rule of law. Removing her will truly boost the fight against corruption.

Elmo Cruz, Manila: Yes, the impeachment proceeding against Ombudsman Gutierrez is one of the major steps of the administration towards an all-around fight against corruption that originated from the past administration and in establishing measures to prevent any anomaly in the future.

Vindictive

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City: I beg to disagree, it simply does not follow. Poor Merci. She’s been used as a barometer, a yardstick against corruption, by the bias against her by P-Noy, that as the House impeachment juggernaut aimed at her starts to roll in, the Chief Executive has made pronouncements that she has been an obstacle in this particular advocacy and must be booted out. Obviously, the President has an axe to grind against the embattled Ombudsman and the overwhelming majority handed out to him by the House must have lifted him up notches higher, although the final reckoning rests in the Senate jury come trial time. The irony of it all is that charges of corruption against Gutierrez are nowhere to be found in the impeachment charges sheet filed in the House.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: If that is what the President thinks, so be it. Obviously, he is peeved with our courts’ decisions, especially those of the SC and the Ombudsman.

R. Los Baños, Las Piñas City: I don’t think so. The President has all the powers vested in him to do that. The Ombudsman, on the other hand, is just a small cog in the judiciary train. Unless corruption is one of the issues being thrown against Gutierrez, then the only reason I see in her removal is to boost P-Noy’s personal crusade against his predecessor.

Stumbling block

Ed Gulmatico, Abu Dhabi: Yes, it will really boost the corruption drive of P-Noy. P-Noy’s government has committed to minimize (if not put to a stop to) excessive corruption and abuses, but with Merci Gutierrez at the helm of this anti-graft court, this noble commitment ends up as mere wishful thinking. With her out, it will be a different story.

Ruel Bautista, Laguna: Everyone knows why Merci was assigned as Ombudsman during GMA’s term. P-Noy is right. She’s the greatest obstacle in his administration’s fight against corruption.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: Ombudsman Gutierrez’s impeachment and conviction will greatly boost the fight against corruption. Mothballed plunder cases can be reopened. Once these people are prosecuted and jailed, government officials and conniving businessmen will think many times before entering into shady deals. It would be best if capital punishment can be meted on them.

June Deoferio, Cavite: Yes, I agree. It will boost the other inactive big cases that for years have been in Ombudsman custody.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The Ombudsman is such a big fish, just like Joc-Joc, et. al., whom she did not prosecute. With her out, we might find closure to these big corruption cases, which have become a legacy of the notoriously corrupt Arroyo administration.

Romeo Caubat, Masbate: Yes, I honestly believe the truthfulness of the charges leveled against her.

Yes, if proven guilty

Cris Rivera, Rizal: Only if Ombudsman Gutierrez is proven guilty as charged. Otherwise, it would be a painful lesson for P-Noy and his legal advisers to learn.

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: Yes, more so if the fight against corruption will be sustained through prosecutions and convictions.

A concerted effort

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: It will help, but the fight against corruption must be the crusade of the legislative, judiciary and the executive branches of government.

Nescel Panes, Passi City, Iloilo: I don’t think it will help. Corruption is as old as history. It has become a scar in our society. From the upper echelons to lower-ranked officials and even government employees, corruption exists. Corruption is more damaging than calamities because it makes the poor poorer and the rich richer. How to stop and prevent corruption? The answer lies in the sincerity, commitment, dignity and honesty of every individual. 

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: I doubt it. Corruption in the Philippines is well-entrenched among our leaders, who fill their pockets at the behest of the sufferings of many. They don’t care, except to count the loot they get from their shady transactions. Granting that Ombudsman Gutierrez has knowledge of these cases of graft in her office, I believe that our political leaders had a hand in these. Control your men, P-Noy, to wade on the sweet honey and your fight against corruption will really be our best beginning.

Randolph Hallasgo, Misamis Oriental: It was the same story with Pres. Erap. He was just the President, but corruption was already in place. Fighting for it needs sincerity and will. So better start in us and in our children by teaching them the right way. There’s still time to fix it.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: With or without the impeachment against Ombudsman Gutierrez, the fight against all corruption in our society should be the concern of all Filipino people to eradicate poverty.

Hopeless case

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: It won’t help one bit. The root causes of corruption would still remain. - Ryan Pahimulin, Rizal

Nope, I don’t think so. Even if Gutierrez gets the axe, so to speak, there will be another one like her sometime in the future. Our country is a Third World country, so corruption is in the blood. Let’s try not to get all excited about the impeachment of Gutierrez, or that it will help boost the fight against corruption, because politicians eat corruption for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner almost every day.

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna: Even if Ombudsman Gutierrez’s impeachment pushes through, it may not change things in the fight against corruption. The impeachment can only serve as an eyeopener.

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: I am not convinced that the impeachment of Ombudsman Gutierrez will boost the fight against corruption. With or without Ombudsman Gutierrez, corruption will not stop. People are suffering from an overdose of conflicts and accusations, because nothing will really happen. How many Senate investigations claimed as aid for legislation have we had, but was there a single legislation, resolution or punishment? Was a case filed in court? The only result is: TV exposure. We have now reached an age of greed, so the ultimate goal of our leaders is to make money and become rich, expecting that mirage called happiness.

More fish to fry

Richard Decena, Quezon City: Hindi po sapat ang impeachment ni Aling Merci para labanan ang corruption dahil marami pang mga kagaya niya ang mga nasa position.

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: It remains to be seen. Even if Merceditas Gutierrez is impeached, corruption remains. What the government can do is to fully intensify the audit of all government institutions by COA and prosecute officials found guilty of wrongdoing. Corruption might be lessened if we put high officials to jail.

Dr. Francis Regalado, Manila: Should be. When Marcos was disposed of, I thought corruption would be, too, but it was not. When Erap was jailed, I thought it would end, but it did not. We need to see more government officials brought to court and indicted for corruption, if we are serious about fighting corruption. Corruption in our country is wickedly tenacious, it’s a cultural nightmare. Corruptors don’t care if we become the laughingstock of the world.

Sending out a message

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: Absolutely, and without reservation whatsoever! Her record speaks for itself. Her office has been quick and aggressive to prosecute only the small fries or those outside the Arroyo circle of allies, friends and followers. Thus, the frequent declarations of President Aquino that he’s relentless in the fight against corruption either elicit a lukewarm response from government officials reportedly still engaged in their old ways or are treated as mere hype. Only the removal of Ombudsman Gutierrez will send the unequivocal message that the culture of corruption ingrained by the Arroyo mafiosi in the government will cease to exist in the Aquino administration.

Dennis Vibandor, Camarines Sur: I don’t know if Gutierrez’s impeachment will set a precedent in the eradication of corruption in the country. The way I see it, it can send a good signal for the people that government officials are not untouchables.

No guarantee

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: No guarantee. If he can’t even stop or neutralize the scourge that torpedoed Erap, i.e. the continuous and widespread operation of jueteng, how much more well-entrenched corruption in all fronts of this country? He should first look into this as a gauge of his alleged campaign against corruption. Otherwise, his entire pronouncement treating the same is mere blah-blah-blah.

Gargantuan task

Diony Yap, Bacolod City: I don’t think so. History repeats itself. Marami pang darating na non-performing asset ang uupo sa ating pamahalaan. Abangan.

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: I’d like to believe that the impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez will lead to the next expected step/s in going after the much-talked about corruption in the previous administration. But, as I see it, some people are only focused on the faults of the Arroyo administration, even making some confusing statements such as saying that corruption “originated” during her time. Corruption has been around a long, long time and became worse since we gained independence from the Americans. We should not be too myopic about corruption as if corruption were invented only recently in this country! This impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez should not be used as if it were the only leverage in the fight against corruption. I am sure that our President can proceed with his graft-busting agenda and go after the corrupt from top to bottom, without fear or favor. But, then again, this is really a gargantuan task if our President is surrounded by corruption-contaminated people!

The problem with Merci

Rene Poder, Manila: Perhaps catching the big fish was just beyond her competence and pay scale.

Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: Yes, we need an Ombudsman that with an untarnished reputation, which Gutierrez doesn’t possess.

A pivotal decision

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: This, of course, is an interlude to the greater telenovela where Ms. Gutierrez will take only a bit role while the leading stars will be the former President, her personal family, and her official family. Whatever decision will be handed to Gutierrez will not be as important as her information about big-time corruption in the past administration. The impeachment proceeding could lead to the conviction of all corrupt people and be the beginning of an honest-to-goodness fight against all corruptions.

It’s up to the Senate

Noel Alquiza, Metro Manila: Though the personal opinion of the President is uncalled for, because the Supreme Court and the Lower House of the Legislative branch have already taken action regarding her impeachment proceeding, I agree. We’ll just hope and pray that it will prosper in the Upper House, which is also an independent body and she will not end up like the late Gen. A. Reyes who was a victim of “dark politics”, for she opted to fight and be optimistic that in the Senate, it will not prosper.

Felix Ramento, USA: Yes, and if the Senate opts to absolve the Ombudsman, then P-Noy can conveniently turn the table against the senators concerned. My take is, the message is short of a warning intended to them, lest they be accused before the people as coddlers of the malpractices of his predecessor.

Help regain public trust

Jimmy Donton, Palawan: It would help greatly in restoring public trust to an institution like the Ombudsman, which is supposed to be protecting the people against abusive public officials and government employees.

Wanted: Graftbusters

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: Merci’s ouster would only be part of a whole effort to stop graft and corruption in the government. I think a graftbuster must be detailed in every government organization, the COA’s Internal Auditor, PBAC, BIR, etc. and our leaders must think of a way to have these guys well-protected (and paid) especially when they uncover and bring out anomalies.

Keep it up, P-Noy!

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: It’s very commendable of P-Noy because he is now “walking the talk” and keeping his promise. Keep it up, P-Noy.

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