Guingona stands by recommendation to impeach Merci

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III said he stands by his panel's recommendation to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for the plea bargaining agreement entered into by her office with former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Gracia. Guingona said he has the "highest respect" for Senate President Juan Ponce who on Sunday said his panel should have set aside its recommendation to impeach Gutierrez, citing the Senate's impending role as an impeachment court. Still, Guingona said he "believes in the wisdom" of the blue ribbon committee. “The Ombudsman represents the single biggest stumbling block in our quest for truth and in our crusade to recover hundreds of millions of pesos in people’s money that may be lost due to the negligence and lack of prosecutorial will on her part," Guingona said in a statement released Monday. "Her departure in office is of paramount importance. Therefore, she must resign or be impeached," he added.

On Thursday, the Senate blue ribbon committee recommended for the impeachment Gutierrez and the dismissal and filing of charges against the state prosecutors who entered into a plea bargaining agreement with Garcia. The senators who signed the blue ribbon's recommendation were:

Senators Escudero;

Sergio Osmeña III;

Joker Arroyo;

Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.;

Juan Miguel Zubiri;

Franklin Drilon;

Francis Pangilinan;

Pia Cayetano;

Ralph Recto;

Antonio Trillanes IV;

Alan Peter Cayetano;

Loren Legarda, and

Manny Villar. However, Drilon, Escudero, Legarda, Recto, Revilla, Zubiri, Villar, and the two Cayetanos expressed reservation over the impeachment call because the impeachment proceedings are bound to end up at the Senate. On the other hand, Enrile, Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto, Edgardo Angara, Miriam Defensor-Santiago Santiago, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada did not sign the report. Arroyo said he did not participate in the proceedings to enable him to make any kind of judgement. Guingona is expected to present the partial panel report to the Senate plenary on Monday. - VVP, GMA News