Merci on Villa-Ignacio as Ombudsman: 'Oh, God forbid!'

Embattled Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez on Friday expressed instant disapproval when asked about the possibility of special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio replacing her, either upon her expected retirement in 2012 or if her term is cut short by an impeachment process in Congress. In a radio interview Friday, Gutierrez said Villa-Ignacio’s record was too tarnished with various complaints and sanctions to assume the Ombudsman’s post. "Oh God forbid! May kaso iyan ng perjury at falsification... Huwag na siya mag-aspire [He has cases of perjury and falsification… He shouldn’t even aspire for the post]," Gutierrez said when asked if she was aware of certain sectors pushing for the special prosecutor as her replacement. When Villa-Ignacio – then assistant Ombudsman – was applying to become a special prosecutor, he failed to tell the screening committee that the Supreme Court had once penalized him, Gutierrez claimed. "If you were penalized, disqualified ka na [you are thereby disqualified] to become a special prosecutor," she explained. She also said Villa-Ignacio committed the same act when he was applying for Ombudsman. "Kasabay ko yan nag-apply. Hindi na naman niya dinisclose ang ganoong information. So na-consider na naman siya at nakakuha pa yata siya ng isa o dalawang boto while I got the unanimous consent," Gutierrez said. (He and I both applied. Again, he didn’t disclose the said information. So again, he was considered, and I think he even got one or two votes, while I got the unanimous consent.) She said one of Villa-Ignacio's staff later learned about the special prosecutor's non-disclosure and filed a case against him. An investigation ensued and Villa-Ignacio was sanctioned, Gutierrez added. The Ombudsman also recalled an incident when prosecutors under Villa-Ignacio did a "Hyatt 10" by calling for his resignation at the Club Filipino in San Juan City. The allusion is to the "Hyatt 10" group – Cabinet officials of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who called for her resignation amid allegations of poll fraud. In the same radio interview, Gutierrez also revealed that Villa-Ignacio is still the subject of a pending complaint before her office for excessive absences of 110 days in 2008. "Hindi pa kasama diyan ang leaves na finile niya, kaya halos wala na siyang ipinasok noon [That doesn’t include the leaves he filed, such that he hardly ever reported for work back then]," the Ombudsman said. If ever Villa-Ignacio would go to the office, it would not exceed around 20 minutes and then he would leave, she added. GMA News Online tried to contact Villa-Ignacio for comment, but his phone repeatedly returned a recorded message [See related: Worried about pension, Merci appeals to senators].—Mark D. Merueñas/JV, GMA News