Merceditas Gutierrez

Merceditas Gutierrez
Ombudsman of the Philippines
In office December 1, 2005 – May 6, 2011
President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Benigno Aquino III
Preceded by	Simeon V. Marcelo
Succeeded by	Orlando C. Casimiro (acting)
Secretary of Justice
In office December 24, 2003 – August 31, 2004
President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by	Simeon Datumanong
Succeeded by	Raul M. Gonzalez
In office November 27, 2002 – January 15, 2003
Preceded by	Hernando Perez
Succeeded by	Simeon Datumanong
Personal details
Born	Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Profession	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic

Ma. Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez is a Filipino government official and Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines. She heads the powerful Ombudsman Office which investigates government officials accused of crimes. She was a two-time Justice Secretary of the Philippine Justice Department in 2002 and 2004. She assumed the Office of the Ombudsman on December 1, 2005 as the first female to head the post. On March 22, 2011, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Gutierrez. She announce her resignation from office on April 29, 2011, and her term is until on May 6, 2011.

Early life

Gutierrez graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University Law School in 1972, wherein she was a schoolmate of the future First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. She took the Bar the following year but failed. She then eventually passed the Bar in 1974 with an average grade. In 1983, she began engaging herself in government services. She became the Legal Officer of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC), then, Presidential Legal Officer of the Philippine Presidential Office. After her stints from those government offices, she was moved by the President to the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines.^[1]

Justice Secretary

In two separate instances, Gutierrez was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Acting Secretary to fill out the vacant seats of Secretary Hernani Perez in 2002 and Secretary Simeon Datumanong in 2004.^[1]

Ombudsman

See also: Impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez

On December 1, 2005, President Arroyo appointed Gutierrez to the post of Ombudsman, who is responsible for investigating erring government officials. She became the first woman to be appointed as ombudsman.^[1]

In June 2007, she was elected as Vice-President of the 22-member Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA),^[2] a regional grouping which aims to improve multilateral cooperation among Asian countries in the fight against the social menace.^{[clarification needed]}

In March 2009, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and other civil society groups filed impeachment charges before the Philippine Congress against Gutierrez, alleging that she mishandled cases. The complaint was later dismissed.^[3]

On July 22, 2010, a new impeachment complaint was filed against Gutierrez by Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Brigadier General Danilo Lim and Evelyn Pestano on the basis of "illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient" handling of cases.^[4] In August 2010, another impeachment complaint was filed by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan for inaction on the Fertilizer Fund scam, the Euro Generals scandal and the Mega Pacific scandal.^[5] The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on March 10, 2011 recommended the impeachment and resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez as well as the firing of members of the Office of the Special Prosecutor for "neglecting, weakening and complicating" the plunder case against former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and his family. ^[6] On March 22, 2011, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Gutierrez on charges of betraying the public trust, with 4 representatives abstaining, 46 against, and 210 for the impeachment, thereby sending the impeachment to the Senate.^[7]

See also

• Ombudsman of the Philippines
• Department of Justice (Philippines)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Tender Mercy". Manila Bulletin. 2009-04-11. http://mb.com.ph/articles/202046/tender-mercy. Retrieved 2011-03-23. 
2. ^ http://asianombudsman.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149&Itemid=122%E2%8C%A9%3Den&lang=en
3. ^ http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173423/ombudsman-hails-dismissal-of-impeach-complaint
4. ^ http://propinoy.net/2011/03/02/full-text-of-impeachment-complaint-against-ombudsman-merceditas-gutierrez/
5. ^ Legaspi, Anita (2010-08-03). "Another impeachment complaint filed vs Ombudsman Gutierrez". GMANews.TV. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197688/another-impeachment-complaint-filed-vs-ombudsman-gutierrez. Retrieved 2011-03-08. 
6. ^ http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/10/11/blue-ribbon-gutierrez-resign
7. ^ Calonzo, Andreo (2011-03-22). "House impeaches Ombudsman for betrayal of public trust". GMANews.TV. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/215844/nation/house-impeaches-ombudsman-for-betrayal-of-public-trust. Retrieved 2011-03-22. 

External links

• Office of the Ombudsman - Official Website

Preceded by Simeon V. Marcelo	Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines 2005– May 6, 2011	Succeeded by Orlando C. Casimiro (Acting)
Preceded by Simeon A. Datumanong	Secretary of Justice December 24, 2003 – August 31, 2004	Succeeded by Raul M. Gonzalez
Preceded by Hernando B. Perez	Secretary of Justice November 27, 2002 – January 15, 2003	Succeeded by Simeon A. Datumanong

Persondata
Name	Gutierrez, Merceditas N.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth	Philippines
Date of death
Place of death