MANILA - A day after the House committee on justice dismissed the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, solons on Wednesday used the budget hearing on the Office of the Ombudsman to raise various concerns they want the Ombudsman to act on.
 
Gutierrez and her senior officials were put on the hot seat when several solons criticized the delays affecting cases of their constituents.
 
One solon threatened to hold the budget of the Office of the Ombudsman. Another sought the dismissal of overall deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.
 
At the start of the hearing, sparks flew between Gutierrez and Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, one of the endorsers of the impeachment complaint.
 
Saying her office is "incompetent," Bello castigated Gutierrez for her office's failure to update him on the status of his August 2009 complaint seeking to investigate President Arroyo's US$20,000 meal at Le Cirque restaurant in New York.
 
"We never received from your office an acknowledgment of receipt of this complaint. We have not received any information regarding the progress [of the complaint]," he added.
 
Gutierrez replied: "When a complaint is received, we do not respond. What we can only say is, trust us that we are acting on the complaints received."
 
"We receive complaints...about 13,000 a year. It's not in our procedure to answer the complaints. Complainants will have their day when they will be asked to present their evidence in the preliminary investigation stage," she added.
 
An unsatisfied Bello said: "I think, as a complainant and as a member of Congress, we at least expect the courtesy of being informed by your office that indeed the complaint is received and being acted on." 

Pussyfooting Ombudsman?
Zambales Rep. Milagros "Mitos" Magsaysay blew her top over the delayed action on a complaint filed by her constituents against Olongapo City Mayor Bong Gordon for allegedly failing to remit their payments to the National Power Corporation (NPC).
 
Magsaysay said she is worried their electricity would be cut because of the unpaid dues.
 
"You're pussyfooting on the case. Pag small fry, ang bilis ng action nyo. Pero ngayon pong taong bayan ang nagfile, por que hindi famous [walang aksyon]. Kailangan ba ako ang magfile?," she said.
 
"Paying P50 million a month is not enough to cover all the debts we have with Napocor. Didn't you bother to ask the city mayor how come he does not remit every single centavo. Once the National Grid Corp. cuts the power of Olongapo, who will I blame now?" she added.
 
Magsaysay reminded the Gutierrez that she is the vice-chairman of the committee on appropriations, and she threatened to hold the budget of the deputy Ombudsman for Luzon.
 
House committee on appropriations chairman Quirino Rep. Junie Cua had to call a break to ease the tension. "Sometimes when we are angry, it is difficult for us to think. Maybe it's time for us to take a lunch break," he said.
 
Gutierrez vows to act fast
A personal gripe also led Alagad party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta to ask the Ombudsman to recommend to the President the dismissal of Casimiro for his unfavorable ruling in the case he filed against Commission on Election (Comelec) officials. Casimiro signed the dismissal of the case as acting Ombudsman.
 
"May I ask Madam Ombudsman whether or not she can recommend to the President the dismissal of Casimiro?," Marcoleta said.
 
Gutierrez replied: "We have to observe due process."

Even congressmen had a word war. Marcoleta got offended when Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez raised that the budget hearing should not be used to raise personal concerns. Golez argued that only the interests of constituents may be raised.
 
Marcoleta hit back, prompting another suspension at the budget hearing. "Kung ayaw mo ako, walang ganon. Don't use those words," he said.  

Congratulations
In between tirades, other solons cheered the Ombudsman by extending their congratulations for the dismissed complaint.
 
"Yesterday, I voted in your favor in the [House] committee of justice to dismiss the impeachment complaint. This representation honestly believes that the lapses alleged in the complaint, taken collectively, cannot be constituted as betrayal of public trust or culpable violation of the constitution," Marcoleta said.
 
"However, I cannot say very well with respect to your deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro and those officials who dismissed the complaint that I filed before your office against then former [Comelec] Commissioner Resurrecion Bora and the late Commissioner Romeo Brawner," he added.
 
Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentebella, who faces a plunder complaint, told Gutierrez he voted for the dismissal of the complaint "knowing she's trying her best."
 
Gutierrez, commenting on the dismissal, said: "Mabuti naman at na-consider naman yung lahat ng aking mga sinasabi noon na ang ebidensyang prinesent nila ay wala silang basis to file an impeachment case against me."
 
Asked if the impeachment case is a closed case, she said: " I just hope so. I would like to be effective in the discharge of my duties and responsibilities in the Office of the Ombudsman."
 
The dismissal of the impeachment complaint at the committee level has to be sent to the plenary for approval. It will take a one-third vote, or 90 votes of the House of Representatives, to overturn the decision.