Palace asked to clarify office term of Merci’s replacement

As the Judicial and Bar Council prepares to process nominations for prospective replacements of resigned Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, a member of the body asked Malacañang Sunday to make clear the term of the successor. Senate justice committee chairman Francis Escudero said they want to make clear if the replacement will serve Gutierrez’s unexpired term up to 2012, or get a full seven-year term. “Ang amin bang ibibigay na pangalan bilang pampuno lamang sa unexpired term ni Ombudsman Gutierrez, or ito ay para sa kabuuang pitong taon term ng Ombudsman? Kailangan maging klaro kung ito pampuno o para sa buong term," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. (Will the one we recommend merely serve the unexpired term of Ombudsman Gutierrez, or will it be a full seven-year term? We have to be clear on this first.) Escudero is an ex-officio member of the JBC as head of the Senate justice committee. He said the JBC may take up the matter in its meeting in Manila on Monday. The meeting will be behind closed doors, he said. On the other hand, Escudero declined to comment on prospective applicants or nominees for the post, saying the JBC is a passive body that will merely screen prospects. “Di kami nagtutulak, di kami nag-e-enganyo (We are not endorsing or actively encouraging anyone for the post)," he said. Also, Escudero said the new Ombudsman can “undo" Gutierrez’s actions but not necessarily in a direct manner. He cited the case of the plea bargain deal involving former Armed Forces of the Philippines comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, where he said the new Ombudsman can undo Gutierrez’s action only by asking the court to revoke the agreement. “Pwede pero dahil pending yan sa Sandiganbayan dadaan pa rin yan sa korte na magdedesisyon (The new Ombudsman can undo Gutierrez’s action but through the courts," he said. — LBG, GMA News