I can commiserate with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for the merciless brickbats she has been getting from people who obviously will never be satisfied whatever the outcome of the NBE-ZTE investigation will be. Given the public’s lynching mood, Gutierrez is in a “damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t” situation.

She is right in saying that at the end of the day, it will be the court that will determine whether the action taken by the Office of the Ombudsman is correct or not. Prosecuting criminals is not a popularity issue.

I have faith in Gutierrez—she will continue to be the dedicated, honest and sincere public servant I knew back in our Department of Justice days.

—GEORGE C. DEE,
provincial prosecutor,
Laguna