Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez

The mere mention of her name makes recalcitrant government officials and employees cringe in shame and fear. One stroke of her pen can send anybody to a life behind bars, in shame or perpetual damnation. After all, she is the country’s No. 1 graft-buster.

At the end of a graft-busting day, Merceditas Gutierrez takes off her “Ombudsman” costume and comes out of it a softer, tender Mercy.

She can replace a flat tire, fix busted pipes and home appliance, iron clothes, play the guitar and piano, and still finds time to paint still life using watercolor and sing "Diana" and "Paper Roses" with gusto.

Is she the modern-day Superwoman? Far better than that. She is the Ombudsman. She might look like a fragile ice queen to her peers, but this lady doesn’t mind doing hard labor, especially when the occasion calls for it. When their car broke down one time, it was she who changed the tires in the middle of a deserted road.

Take off the title and the relations with politics, and Mercy is just an ordinary woman, much like everyone else - a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend.

Get to know the real Mercy sans the glare of the political spotlight.

Great power comes with great responsibilities

Ombudsman Gutierrez knows that, more than just being a prosecutor, her main role is to be a protector of the people. She recognizes that her responsibility is to the people. She has to check on government activities in the interests of the citizen and oversee the investigation of complaints of corrupt practices against them. Knowing the responsibilities of an ombudsman is one thing.

Complying with the demands of the job is another thing. One has to have the appropriate knowledge and indisputable credentials. To this, Mercy passed with flying honors.

She graduated from Ateneo de Manila University Law School in 1972, and started her government services in 1983. She became the legal officer of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation and later, the presidential legal officer of the Philippine Presidential Office.

Then, she was repositioned by the President to the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines. Soon, she became a two-time Justice Secretary of the Justice Department in 2002 and 2004.

As the saying goes, a good person has nowhere to go but up. In December 1, 2005, she was appointed as the Ombudsman, the first female to assume the post.

Her stint in the government for more than two decades shows that Ombudsman Gutierrez certainly has the heart to serve the public. She believes that a good public servant should be God-fearing, with the highest degree of competence, honesty, and integrity. And she does what she preaches.

“To become a good leader, one has to lead by example,” says the Ombudsman. She advocates integrity, efficiency, and high ethical standard in public service through proactive approaches in graft prevention and public assistance.

People watching her on TV reacting to different political issue may have a tough opinion about her. But for those people who work under her, she is a motherly figure who is fun, loving, and caring.

In fact, she cares too much about her employees that she managed to put up a small “farm,” complete with vegetable plantation and fish ponds (in water drums), in the vacant area surrounding the Ombudsman’s office on Agham Road, Quezon City.  Her employees have now become self-sufficient in food.

She believes that personal and family life must be separated from work. She doesn’t let her position as Ombudsman affect her family, especially her children. After a hard day’s work, Gutierrez leaves work-related issues in the office. For at the end of the day, she is just a mother to her children and wife to her husband.

Discovering the soft side of Mercy

Who would have thought that a tough graft buster can be a doting mother at home? Gutierrez may have a tough image but beneath that shell is a loving mother and grandmother who devotes her free time to her family. All thoughts of crime busting and politics are temporarily forgotten when she is at home.

“I don’t want my family to be involved in anything related to my work. I don’t tell them about the cases or the people I work with. Ayoko silang madamay sa mga gulo sa trabaho. Kahit na nahihirapan na ako o kahit na mabigat sa loob yung dinadala ko, basta tungkol sa trabaho, hindi ako nagkukwento sa kanila,” says Gutierrez.

Gutierrez comes from a family of “musicians.” Her father plays the saxophone while her brothers are good at playing the guitar. Needless to say, Gutierrez grew up listening to music from different genres. When asked about what instrument she can play, she says, “Siyempre piano dahil ‘yun talaga ang gusto ko simula nung bata ako.” She occasionally plays the piano for her grandchildren during her free time. She also plays the guitar!

With all the stress that comes with her judicial stature, Gutierrez remains a picture of good health and beauty. Although she doesn’t follow a specific diet, she veers away from meat and cuts down on high cholesterol food. However, ube ice cream and chocolates remain her ultimate indulgence.

“Chocolates and ice cream are my guilty pleasures; it gets very hard to resist at times, but I never let myself go overboard,” she laughingly tells.

To make up for her sweet indulgences, she stays fit by running two or three times a week on the treadmill. “I don’t do the fancy work out stunts, okay na sa akin yung treadmill, basta lang makapag papawis,” she added.

She may be both beauty and brains, the Ombudsman keeps it simple by just washing her face with soap and water when she arrives from work and applying skin moisturizer before she sleeps. Same is true with hair and make-up, she goes to work wearing loose powder and lipstick, and there was even a time when she would cut her own hair. “I used to cut my own hair when I was younger; I’m actually quite good at it. As long as the edges are straight, I’m good to go,” she quips.   

When it comes to her parenting method, you can’t really consider her strict, nor can you label her tactics as lenient. She believes that she is somewhere in between. At home, she only has one rule: “Hindi ako nagger na mom. Isang beses lang ako magsasalita pero kapag may sinabi ako, alam na nila na hindi sila pwedeng sumuway.” In fact, she never raised her voice (not even once) even if she’s deeply frustrated with her children. People might be wondering how that could be possible but Mercy says that she grew up without her mother nagging over every mistake.  And just like her mother, Gutierrez did the same with her kids.

Even if she spent most of her time at work, Gutierrez did not forget her duties as a mom. She supported her children in every endeavor that they wanted to pursue - sports, arts, or something else. She became the source of strength and inspiration for her children.

Unwavering and Fuss-free Mercy

As a graft buster who identifies organizational roadblocks which oppose the interest of the public and resolves complaints against big players in the political sphere, Gutierrez is naturally the target of many controversies and resentment, particularly from those individuals her office has sanctioned. But Gutierrez remains unfazed.

Saying she gets strength and courage from her parents during trying times, the Ombudsman also relates the enormous help she continuously seeks from God if and when faced with significant decisions that could either make or break government authorities. “I pray before deciding on anything,” she says.

Regardless of the personalities involved in a case, Gutierrez says all she looks out for are pieces of evidence that would aid her in decision-making. And, thoughts of serving the country better fill her mind when she feels weak and dejected, she explains.

However, if Gutierrez hadn’t been a public figure, she reveals being an anti-corruption advocate or being an NGO worker who promotes the welfare of children might suit her well. “My first love is working for the children,” she discloses. “When I was in high school, I would volunteer and teach catechism to kids in public schools.”

As such, Gutierrez’s heart is very close to public service, and her life is built around the paradigm of social service. “Ayokong inaapi ‘yung maliliit. As much as possible, I want to be able to help the marginalized sectors in our society,” Gutierrez says.

But what is most striking, besides her resolve and passion to serve, is her commitment to live life in moderation. In reality, the Ombudsman doesn’t know quite a thing about luxury and decadence. Truth be told, behind the gloss of the title, Ombudsman Gutierrez is just your average, every day woman who loves her country and family. That is why, she is such a tender Mercy.