Group launches nationwide ‘truth and justice rallies’ vs Merci

Party-list group Akbayan on Monday launched a series of nationwide "truth and justice" protests to call for the immediate removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez from office. About 30 members of the group held a protest action in front of the Office of the Ombudsman’s building in Quezon City to kick off what they described as “tsunami-like" rallies to force the official out of office. "The fundamental aim of the mass actions is to highlight the fact that the clamor for Gutierrez’s removal has a national character. It aims to consolidate all forces against corruption. There will be no let-up in this advocacy. No quarters will be given. Gutierrez will be removed," Akbayan executive committee member Francis Isaac said in a statement Monday. The protesters carried oversized eviction notices and held placards saying “Layas, Merci" during the rally to convey their calls for the removal of Gutierrez from her post.

"The only recourse for the people is to evict her [Gutierrez] out of office... We are giving this eviction notice to express the people’s disgust over the way she handled her office," he said. The eviction notice stated that Gutierrez’s "stubborn insistence to occupy a position no longer trusts her to occupy" serves as a "major obstacle in the realization of reforms and dispensation of justice." Gutierrez is currently facing impeachment raps at the House of Representatives, one of which was filed by former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel. The House committee on justice, which found probable cause to impeach the Ombudsman from office last week, are set to present the impeachment case against Gutierrez before the lower chamber’s plenary this week. Under Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the impeachment complaint against the Ombudsman will have to get a one-third vote of all House members— in this case, 94 affirmative votes— before it can be transmitted to the Senate for trial. ‘Very strong’ case Isaac said he believes the impeachment case against Gutierrez, which accuses the official of betrayal of public trust, is “strong" enough to secure the needed numbers in both the House and the Senate. “Hindi naman kami magpa-file ng mahinang kaso. The case is very strong dahil hindi lang naman Akbayan ang nagsasabi na she [Gutierrez] committed an impeachment offense... I am very sure that the public pulse right now is against Merceditas Gutierrez," he said. He added that protest actions from various Akbayan chapters in Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, General Santos City and Zamboanga City will be held to show that public really wants the Ombudsman out of her office. A candle-lighting vigil is also set to be conducted on Monday afternoon outside the Batasan Pambansa building in Quezon City in a bid “to secure the commitment" of different district representatives. Whistle-blowers Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr., Heidi Mendoza and George Rabusa are expected to lead the candle-lighting ceremony. "We will guarantee that the voice of the constituencies which is supportive of judicial reforms and highly in favour of the impeachment of Gutierrez is reflected on their [the congressmen’s] votes," Isaac said. — RSJ, GMA News