Senators thank Merci for resigning, but warn it's not over yet

(Updated 6:17 p.m.) Senators on Friday thanked Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for resigning from her post even before the impeachment trial could begin on May 9, but warned that this does not keep her safe from further scrutiny. In separate statements, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and at least eight other senators thanked Gutierrez for "sparing" the country from a "tedious, divisive, and painful" impeachment process. "I welcome that move of Mrs. Gutierrez. It was a noble act to save her family, to save the country and to save the nation from being divided," Enrile told reporters in an interview on Friday. "The resignation of Gutierrez will spare the country from the very tedious and divisive process of impeachment. This will also save time and resources that would have been spent in the process," added Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. Enrile likewise thanked Gutierrez for allowing the Senate to concentrate on legislative concerns. "Mabuti nag-resign siya para sa gayun... tumahimik ang bayan, ipagpapatuloy namin ang trabaho naming gumawa ng batas (It's great that she resigned because the public will finally be at ease and we'll be able to craft legislations)," he said. In a statement, Senator Manuel Villar said that the country can now "move forward" and work on finding ways to help the country amid rising fuel prices. Senator Loren Legarda likewise said that the money saved from the impeachment trial can be used for "other essential needs" of our people. [View Ombudsman Guiterrez's announcement of her resignation below.] Not over yet Senators Francis Pangilinan and Ralph Recto, however, said that Gutierrez's resignation does not spare her from facing other possible charges. "Her resignation does not prevent the state from pursuing criminal cases should there be sufficient grounds to do so," said Pangilinan. Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, likewise said that her resignation should pave way for a "speedier quest" for the truth behind the anomalies in the Arroyo administration. The House of Representatives earlier impeached Gutierrez for alleged betrayal of public trust due to the low conviction rates and her supposed inaction on five high-profile cases during the Arroyo administration. The case was elevated to the Senate, which was supposed to convene as an impeachment court on May 9. Earlier in the day, however, Gutierrez announced her resignation, insisting that her loyalty has always been to the Filipino people and not to Mrs. Arroyo who appointed her to office five years ago. Recto, meanwhile, noted that the venue of any other charges against the former Ombudsman must now shift to the courts "where these cases duly belong." "Any case filed against her (Gutierrez) is not for the Senate to oversee anymore. It would have to be the regular courts or the Sandiganbayan itself. This is always a distinct possibility," added Senator Francis Escudero. But Enrile reminded the future complainants against Gutierrez to prepare enough evidence against her. "Sapat ba ebidensya nila, sigurado ba sila makakakuha sila ng conviction. Kung wala ano ngayon? (Are their evidence enough? Are they sure that they will be able to get a conviction. If they don't, what's the point of filing any case?)," he said. Earlier in the day, House justice committee chairman Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. also said that Gutierrez may still face criminal charges even after she has resigned. New Ombudsman Revilla and Senator Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos, meanwhile, said that President Benigno Aquino III can now choose an Ombudsman who will be able to fight graft and corruption in the government. In a text message to GMA News Online, Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said that Aquino must appoint an Ombudsman based on integrity and not on loyalty. "The next Ombudsman should be a champion of good governance and a firece enemy to all corrupt public servants. He or she cannot be perceived as a protector of the Aquino administration today and beyond," he said. But Vice President Jejomar Binay, who likewise welcomed Gutierrez's resignation, said he is confident that Aquino will appoint an Ombudsman "who will keep the Office free from political interference and will help advance the administration's campaign against corruption." House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is also pleased with Gutierrez’s decision, saying her resignation has “relieved" Congress and the government of what might have turned out into a “long, protracted, grueling and costly" impeachment trial. "The trial would have distracted Congress from its main task of legislation. Sessions are set to resume May 9 and we can now concentrate on our legislative agenda and the many vital measures that can move faster with our undivided attention," Belmonte said in a statement released on Friday afternoon. Belmonte also said "there is no longer any impediment" to the Aquino administration's goal of pursuing graft cases. He added that the public can now expect that graft cases will be acted on "decisively and swiftly." The Department of Justice, for its part, said that the Office of the Ombudsman remains to be a powerful institution for the protection of interests of the public. "Perhaps now, everyone, especially those working in the Office of the Ombudsman, can finally move on and concentrate on performing their Constitutional mandate, and go about regaining the faith and trust of the people," it said a statement on Friday. - with Emmanuel Luis Bacani/RSJ, GMA News