(Eagle News) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 23, junked the consolidated petitions seeking to declare the position of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales vacant.
In junking the petitions filed last year by lawyer Rey Nathaniel Ifurung and former Metro Rail Transit Line 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III, the SC said Article XI, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution and Sections 7 and 8(3) of Republic Act 6770 provide that the Ombudsman is appointed to a seven-year term without reappointment.
The High Court said this was contrary to the petitioners’ argument that Morales in particular should serve only the remainder of the term that was left unfinished by her predecessor, Merceditas Gutierrez.
The term of Gutierrez, who resigned on May 6, 2011, was supposed to have been finished by November 30, 2012.
Morales is set to end her stint as Ombudsman in July. Moira Encina