"Matindi ang mga akusasyon kay Ombudsman Gutierrez. Mataas pa din ang tingin ko sa kakayahan ng Kongreso na pagbasehan ang mga ihahaing ebidensiya. Hindi pwedeng walang accountability ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan lalo na ang ating national graft buster, ang Ombudsman! Ito marahil ang dahilan kung bakit walang habas na gumawa ng kalokohan ang mga erring government officials," Villanueva said.

An independent congressman yesterday doused any hopes that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez would be impeached as he said the House of Representatives has turned the process into an "exercise in inutility."

Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson added the impeachment process has long been "desecrated" by Malacañang and its "subservient" allies.

The House is set to tackle the impeachment complaint against Gutierrez when session resumes next week.

Past complaints against President Arroyo were dismissed with dispatch by the House, citing "lack of substance."

Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva, however, he still hoping that the House would allow the presentation of evidence against Gutierrez.

"Matindi ang mga akusasyon kay Ombudsman Gutierrez. Mataas pa din ang tingin ko sa kakayahan ng Kongreso na pagbasehan ang mga ihahaing ebidensiya. Hindi pwedeng walang accountability ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan lalo na ang ating national graft buster, ang Ombudsman! Ito marahil ang dahilan kung bakit walang habas na gumawa ng kalokohan ang mga erring government officials," he said.

Rep. Teofisto Guingona III (NP, Bukidnon) said that given the "notorious" record of the House, he believes that the complaint will be dismissed at the committee level. "But in spite of that, lalaban pa din tayo," he said.

The complaint, filed last March 2 by former Senate President Jovito Salonga, leaders of civil society groups and former government officials, accused Gutierrez of being a "coddler of the powerful and corrupt."

It was endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Bayan Muna party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño, Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis and Liza Maza of Gabriela.

It accuses Gutierrez of "betrayal of public trust and gross and manifest incompetence to perform her duties."

The complaint said Gutierrez failed to prosecute those involved in the P1.3-billion Mega Pacific election computerization contract, in the collusion on the road projects financed by the World Bank where the name of presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo has been mentioned, in the P728 million fertilizer fund scam involving former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc Joc" Bolante, in the $2-million extortion case against former justice secretary Hernando "Nani" Perez, and in the P6.9-million "euro generals" scandal involving former PNP comptroller Eliseo dela Paz.

The complaint said Gutierrez showed her gross and manifest incompetence in suspending Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas for two counts of malversation in 2005, and Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia for plunder, falsification of public documents and malversation in November 2008, all in violation of their rights to due process.