Ex-DSWD chief to Ombudsman: Face raps, don't pick on my hair

MANILA, Philippines - Former Social Welfare secretary Corazon “Dinky" Soliman on Tuesday advised Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to just face the impeachment complaint hurled against her, instead of picking on the former’s hued hair. Soliman, one of the 31 petitioners in the impeachment complaint, stressed the legitimacy of their complaint, saying that Gutierrez had failed to resolve a number of high-profile cases including those of former Justice secretary Hernando “Nani" Perez, the fertilizer fund scam, and the World Bank controversy. "Ito ay isang lehitimong reklamo… [Dapat] siya ang nangangalaga sa public laban sa gobyerno kung ito ay umaabuso. Dapat iyon ang kanyang pinangangalagaan. Subalit maliwanag na maraming kaso ang lumampas at hindi niya inaksyunan," Soliman said in a radio dzBB interview. [Our complaint is a legitimate one. Gutierrez should be the one protecting the public against erring public officials. Instead, it was clear there had been many cases that just passed her way without her addressing them.] After learning about the lodging of the impeachment complaint, Gutierrez called for a press conference Monday afternoon, where she hurled tirades against her detractors and said she was merely being victimized by “politicking." In one instance, Gutierrez said her critics are merely “adding color" to the controversies so that they could get back at her. She then went on, "Dapat ang nilalagyan ng kulay ay ang buhok ni Dinky Soliman [Color should be added not to the performance of my duty but to the hair of Dinky Soliman]." Gutierrez also later revealed she was considering on turning the tables on her critics and slapping them with charges of perjury and falsification of documents. In response, Soliman criticized the Ombudsman for resorting to countersuits, instead of clarifying the accusation hurled against her. Soliman - known for donning multi-colored streaks on her hair - also advised Gutierrez to back off from picking on her hair. "Ang aming panawagan sagutin niya ang impeachment case, hindi yung una kami ang kakasuhan niya [We call on her to face the impeachment case, instead of filing counter-charges]," Soliman said. "Pati iyong buhok ko ay pakikialaman niya. Eh talaga namang makulay ang buhok ko. Wala tayong magagawa doon at talagang dadagdagan ko pa ang kulay ng buhok ko [She even noted the color of my hair. We can't do anything about my hair being colorful. In fact, I would even add more colors to my hair]," she added. Aside from Soliman, 30 other civil society leaders led by former Senate President Jovito Salonga filed the complaint Monday morning, which had been initially endorsed by Akbayan party-list Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel. Gutierrez had insisted she would not allow the complaint to get in the way of her performing her day-to-day duties at the Office of the Ombudsman. Employees from Gutierrez’s agency had already signed a manifesto of support for their highest official. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV