BY JP LOPEZ

FOR going out of his way to come to the defense of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, presidential spouse Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo consciously or unconsciously himself confirmed the accusations in the impeachment complaint against her, Sen. Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.

"What are the reasons why the First Gentleman himself has chosen to come to the succor of the Ombudsman in such a brazen and unrestrained manner? Personal ba ito o opisyal niyang tungkulin? Utos ba ito ng kanyang maybahay? Did he make it as a private citizen? Or did he make it in behalf of his office, for indeed, there is an Office of the First Gentleman in the Office of the President in Malacañang. Or was this statement made in behalf of President Arroyo?" Roxas said in a privileged speech.

The presidential spouse said Tuesday "she (Gutierrez) is just doing her job, just let her alone, leave her alone."

Roxas said he could not fathom under what standards Mr. Arroyo based his confidence that Gutierrez was "doing her job."

Roxas said: "My judgment is she has been a failure at her job. That is why early on I called for her resignation."

"That is why we want her removed from office. Kaya walang makalusot-lusot na kaso laban sa mga alipores ng administrasyong Arroyo ay dahil isa mismo sa mga alipores na iyon ang nakaupo sa Office of the Ombudsman," he stressed.

He said the only thing that Gutierrez has proven during her stint is that officials allied with the administration are "untouchables."

He cited the cases of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc Joc" Bolante, former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and retired PNP comptroller Gen. Eliseo dela Paz, among others.

"Iisa ang mensahe nito: Kung malapit ka kay Gloria, untouchable ka. Kung nasa poder ka, hindi ka nagtatrabaho, walang magagawa ang taumbayan," he said.

Roxas defended former Senate President Jovito Salonga from the attacks of Gutierrez and Mr. Arroyo. "Isa si Ka Jovy sa mga pinakamarangal na taong kilala ko... Itaga mo sa bato: hindi mabibili ng sinuman si Ka Jovy. Hindi niya ibebenta ang taumbayan."

He added: "Pagtabihin natin ang dalawa. Ang isa, alipores ng pinakatiwaling gobyerno sa kasaysayan ng bansa, hinahayaang mabulok sa opisina niya ang mga kaso laban sa pamilyang Arroyo at sa mga alipores nito; ang isa, nanindigan, nasugatan, walumpu’t walong taong-gulang na pero patuloy pa ring lumalaban para sa bayan. Ang budhi ng isa, sing-itim ng isang madilim na balon kung saan nahuhulog at naglalaho ang kaban ng bayan, parang tiyan ng dambuhalang buwaya; ang budhi ng isa, walang bahid, nakasisilaw sa puti, singliwanag ng apoy ng pag-ibig para sa bayan, hinding-hindi mapupukaw, kailanman."

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said Mr. Arroyo’s remarks could be a "slip of the tongue."

"Hindi lang mapigilan na ipagtanggol… hindi ito makakatulong (to save her) dahil maraming kaalyado sa House. Kung may mangyari sa impeachment doon, sasabihin ng iba, dahil may impluwensya," he said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Mr. Arroyo’s "unusual interest shown by his coming out in defense of the Ombudsman is very disturbing."

The First Gentleman accused the Liberal Party of seeking revenge against Gutierrez.

The Ombudsman ordered last week the filing of graft charges against former Bukidnon representative and LP vice chairman Nereus Acosta for purportedly defrauding the government of P10.5 million.

Arroyo and Gutierrez belong to the same batch at the Ateneo Law School.

"He is only making matters worse for Mercy," Pangilinan said.

The impeachment complaint against Gutierrez cited, among others, the Ombudsman’s "inaction, mishandling, or downright dismissal of clear cases of graft and corruption, some leading to the President herself or that of her closest associates."

"If, as First Gentleman claims, he has no involvement whatsoever in the corruption cases pending before the Ombudsman, why then is he so interested to absolve the Ombudsman of wrongdoing? Why go out of his way to publicly support her?" Pangilinan asked.

Pangilinan reiterated that Mr. Arroyo’s actions only reinforced the view that Malacañang and the Ombudsman are teaming up to hide the truth from the public.

"Is he doing it out of gratitude for a job well done in protecting his interests? Instead of helping her, FG has just created more problems for her," he asked.

Rep. Rafael Mariano (PL-Anakpawis) voiced apprehension that the vocal defense of the First Gentleman for Ombudsman Gutierrez is a signal for administration allies at the House to kill the impeachment complaint.

He said Arroyo’s call that complainants should leave Gutierrez alone because she is performing her duties well was tantamount to a declaration that Malacañang is protecting the embattled Ombudsman.

He noted that Arroyo’s actions belie the earlier statement of political adviser Gabriel Claudio that the Palace will not interfere in the impeachment move.

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros said Gutierrez’ defense by the First Gentleman only served to bolster the perception of the existence of a "dangerous political liaison."

"There is no need to read between the lines. The problem is that this liaison is dangerous to the integrity and independence of the institution that Gutierrez should be upholding, to a government that should be holding accountable corrupt officials, and ultimately to the Filipino people," she said.

Hontiveros said "in one statement, FG Arroyo himself refuted Gutierrez’ claim that she is independent."

Ruy Rondain, Mike Arroyo’s lawyer, said the context of the latter’s defense for the Ombudsman was for her critics to "leave her alone" so she can "do her job as the chief graft-buster."

"His statement, when put in proper context, is to leave Gutierrez alone so she can do her job. She has much work and her critics should just let her work," he said.

"The First Gentleman respects the process," Rondain said.

Rondain said there was "nothing wrong" with the First Gentleman being a schoolmate of Gutierrez, saying contemporaries at a law school usually know each other.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it is up to Gutierrez whether to heed the call for her to go on leave while the impeachment complaint is being heard by the House of Representatives.

"Huwag natin siya panghimasukan," Ermita said.

"She’s competent enough to hold the fort. Before, she was presidential legal counsel and anti-corruption czar," he said.

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, chair of the public affairs committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, expressed support to the calls for Gutierrez to go on leave.

"That is a very good suggestion para may credibility na objective ang takbo ng kaso. Mawawala na yung pangamba na may magagawa siya while she is still in her post," Iñiguez said.

The Caloocan prelate said Malacañang and the First Gentleman should stop giving statements in defense of Gutierrez to prevent further eroding the government’s sagging credibility.

"Dito sa Pilipinas, kapag may hindi maganda na sinasabi or ina-accuse sa government ng taong bayan, parang pino-protektahan pa nila (the Arroyos). They will have more credibility if they allow the process to push through instead na parang may pino-protektahan," Iñiguez said.

Commissioner Narciso Nario of the Presidential Commission on Good Government bolstered Gutierrez’ claim that Salonga’s loss of original documents when he was still PCGG chair resulted in the dismissal of the ill-gotten wealth cases against Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies.

"The law of evidence says that you must submit the original documents," Nario said.

"Xeroxed or authenticated copies can still be presented in the court provided that there should be additional evidence that would corroborate it like a person who would testify that he saw the original copy and it is the same with the authenticated."