Belmonte to Ombudsman: Nothing to fear in impeach case

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Wednesday assured Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez that she has “nothing to fear" once the House committee on justice resumes its impeachment proceedings against her. Belmonte said the chamber will “safeguard" the rights of the Ombudsman once she faces hearings on the impeachment complaints. “The honorable Ombudsman has nothing to fear. As our past actions show, we shall always act with great circumspection to safeguard her constitutionally guaranteed rights in the course of ferreting out the truth," Belmonte said in a statement Wednesday. Belmonte gave the assurance a day after the Supreme Court allowed the House justice committee to continue hearing the impeachment complaints against Gutierrez. Gutierrez was accused of not acting on cases involving former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Gutierrez was a batchmate of Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, at the Ateneo Law School. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the Ombudsman was not denied due process when the chamber began proceedings on the impeachment complaints since she can file an answer to the charges before the House panel. The Office of the Ombudsman, for its part, said in a statement on Tuesday that Gutierrez will file a motion for reconsideration on the ruling. Belmonte, meanwhile, lauded the Supreme Court decision to junk Gutierrez’s petition to bar the House of Representatives from proceeding with the impeachment hearings. “The high court’s decision not only affirms the exclusive power of the House over impeachment cases; more importantly, it recognized that in this particular case, the House has used its power judiciously and fairly," he said. House Minority Leader Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, however, said that the House committee on justice should wait for the high court’s final ruling on the case before resuming its proceedings. Lagman said that while he respects the Supreme Court’s decision, it will be more “prudent" for the House panel not to conduct hearings until a final decision has been issued. “We honor and respect decision of SC, but I join the call to wait for the final ruling first before resuming proceedings. It would be more prudent to wait for final resolution of the case," he said. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News