President Benigno Simeon Aquino III accepts the resignation letter personally handed by former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in a brief meeting at the Private Office, Premier Guest House, Malacanang Friday April 29, 2011.
The resignation of the Ombudsman is 10-days before the opening of the Impeachment Trial against Gutierrez in the Senate. On March 22, 2011, members of the House of Representatives voted 211 – 46 to impeached Gutierrez.
Here is the copy of her resignation letter:
The president then issued a statement:
This morning, Merceditas Gutierrez personally submitted to me her resignation as our country’s Ombudsman, effective May 6.
Her action has spared the country from a long and divisive impeachment process that would have distracted our lawmakers from dealing with the many problems we face today.
It also paves the way for the appointment of a new Ombudsman.
I thank the House of Representatives. I now urge the Judicial and Bar Council to begin the search for a new Ombudsman. With the support of the public, we can now proceed more decisively in making government officials more accountable to their bosses, the Filipino people.
Thank you.
(Photo by: Jay Morales / Malacanang Photo Bureau)
