This afternoon, news spread quickly that controversial Ombudsman Merceditas N. Gutierrez has resigned from her post. The surprise move comes days before the May 9 start of her Senate impeachment trial. Before 212 members of the House of Representativesvoted to impeach her on March 22, 2011, the proceedings to impeach Gutierrez in the legislature had been contentious, and observers expected the Senate trial to be a protracted process. Instead, public attention now moves to the circumstances of her resignation and questions about her replacement.

We have compiled our reports on the Office of the Ombudsman to look back at the tenure of Merceditas Gutierrez.

Merci’s SALNs a big secret?

Blackmail’ raps spook impeach plaint

Four-part series on the Office of the Ombudsman

The role of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Rolando Mendoza case