Resignation is good but we still want justice
Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership
Statement on the Resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez
Resignation is good but we still want justice
We, the leaders of Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership welcome the resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. We firmly believe that this is a major victory in the present administration’s fight against graft and corruption in our government. We hope that her resignation will pave the way for President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to choose an ethical and impartial Ombudsman with a proven track record who will proactively prosecute corrupt government officials regardless of their political affiliation.
While her resignation is a positive development in our nation’s journey towards the righteous path, we continue to echo the call for justice of millions of Filipinos who are still waiting for the perpetrators of the various corruption scandals (such as the NBN-ZTE Deal and the Fertilizer Fund Scam) to be held accountable for their actions and/or inaction. In addition to this, we believe that Gutierrez should still be prosecuted for failing in her constitutionally-mandated duty to ensure that government leaders who engage in graft and corruption are brought to jail. An example of which is the 1 billion pesos Fertilizer Fund Scam wherein it took more than 5 years for her office to file charges against those who took part in it. As the wise saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied.
Letting Gutierrez go without holding her accountable will send a wrong message that one can continue engaging in graft and corruption while in government and just resign to escape from any form of responsibility. This will only embolden corrupt government officials to continue to steal from our public coffers and deter more truth-tellers like Jun Lozada and Heidi Mendoza from surfacing.
Finally, while Gutierrez’s resignation is a victory for good governance in our country, we continue to call on every responsible and well-meaning Filipino to remain vigilant in our fight against government leaders who continue to abuse their power for their own personal gains. It is only through genuine people power that we can finally rid our political system of corrupt and inefficient government leaders that has continued to prevent millions of Filipinos from moving out of poverty.
