A PROMINENT legislator and a former Justice secretary have registered before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) their opposition to the nomination of Supreme Court (SC) Justice Conchita Carpio Morales to the Office of the Ombudsman.

In their separate letters addressed to the JBC, both Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga and former Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez questioned the independence of Morales, whom they said voted consistently against the Arroyo administration in a number of high-profile cases.

The former President acknowledged that she would be the principal target of complaints, which are expected be filed before the Ombudsman, considering President Aquino’s campaign promise to go after her and her allies, creation of a Truth Commission and the pressures exerted on former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez that led to her resignation.

“If appointed Ombudsman, I sincerely believe that Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales would not have the required ‘independence’ and impartiality in resolving cases involving me and my immediate family,” Arroyo said.

She stressed that while a member of the SC, Morales has consistently voted to validate efforts of the present administration to investigate graft-and-corruption cases allegedly committed during her term.

“While her views did not generally prevail because the Supreme Court is a collegiate court composed of a chief justice and 14 associate justices, the Ombudsman will be acting alone,” Arroyo noted.

“I trust that the Judicial and Bar Council will have no difficulty identifying applicants who possess the required ‘probity and independence’ to act on cases brought before the Ombudsman, including those against myself, my immediate family and others who served in my administration,” she added.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, said, Morales “could not claim to have the cold neutrality and independence, which are important criteria in the selection of the next Ombudsman” based on the decisions and pronouncements she handed down.

“In her career as member of the High Court, her probity and independence is suspect as she almost always voted in tandem with Justice Antonio Carpio in all cases on the Arroyo administration and, hence, raising the suspicion that she merely adheres rather than maintains her own mind,” Gonzales stressed.

Morales is Carpio’s cousin.

Gonzalez pointed out that Morales wrote a dissenting opinion on the majority decision, which struck down the creation of a Truth Commission for being unconstitutional.

She also voted against the appointment of Arroyo of the next chief justice during the election period.

Gonzalez, who was the Tanodbayan from 1986 to late 1988 during the administration of the late President Corazon Aquino, also opposed the application of Francisco Chavez, who was then the solicitor general. 

Gonzalez cited the  pending disbarment cases which are being investigated by Commission on Bar Discipline of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as a ground in opposing Chavez nomination as the next Ombudsman.