Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today slammed allies of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in the House Committee on Justice for dismissing the impeachment case filed against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

“First of all, the timing of such a move is suspect. Administration allies obviously railroaded the junking, at such a time when the rest of the country is preoccupied with relief and rescue operations. No delicadeza at napakatuso,” Palatino, co-author of the House resolution endorsing the impeachment complaint, said.

Palatino said that the dismissal ‘virtually exonerates Pres. Arroyo, FG Mike and others involved from numerous unresolved cases of graft and corruption that the Ombudsman sat on and failed to address’.

“This leaves us, especially the youth, with a different kind of tragedy. What now, when we cannot trust even the Office of the Ombudsman to perform check and balance on the highest of our public officials and, worse, said Ombudsman is allowed to continue her post despite this?” he said.

Palatino also questioned administration allies’ reasoning, invoking the sub judice rule or the prohibition against publicly discussing the merits of a case still pending in court. “That argument remains debatable. We would have been more than willing to debate and argue our side if we were given a chance to vote,” he added.

“They clearly railroaded the dismissal. Pres. Arroyo, FG and their ‘circle of fiends’ are probably feeling like untouchables right now,” Palatino said. ###