DOJ chief Remulla named ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the flood control scandal, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has been appointed as ombudsman, declaring he will spare no one being linked to corruption, including Vice President Sara Duterte and her supporters.

Remulla, who gave the clearance for the arrest of the Vice President’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, by the International Criminal Court, succeeds Samuel Martires, whose term ended in July.

After being officially informed of his appointment yesterday, Remulla said he is taking the job “amidst a firestorm” of issues, especially the flood control scandal. He vowed to “sort out this mess” and prosecute those accountable.

“There will be no sacred cows, no exemptions and no excuses. Public office is a public trust, and those who betray it will be held accountable,” Malacañang said in announcing the appointment of Remulla.

The formal announcement of Remulla’s appointment was preempted last Sunday by President Marcos’ elder sister and Duterte ally Sen. Imee Marcos, who described the incoming ombudsman as “unworthy” and “tainted with injustice.”

Justice Undersecretary Fredderick Vida will serve as DOJ officer-in-charge.

Malacañang brushed aside criticisms of Remulla’s designation, maintaining that the Marcos administration “remains firm in its commitment to fight corruption wherever it exists.”

“As ombudsman, Remulla is expected to uphold transparency, strengthen anti-corruption measures and ensure that justice is administered fairly and efficiently,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

Asked to react to concerns that Remulla would not be impartial as an ombudsman, PCO Secretary Dave Gomez said the justice chief went through a “very stringent process” required under the Constitution and was vetted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

“I don’t believe there is basis to that concern,” Gomez told reporters yesterday. “We have the highest confidence in Secretary Remulla. He will be very impartial when he assumes his new role as the ombudsman.”

Pressed about Remulla’s advantage over the other candidates, Gomez replied: “At the end of the day, after the President receives the recommendation of the JBC, it is still the decision of the President after he receives the shortlist.”

Remulla was appointed the 59th secretary of the Department of Justice in June 2022. According to the PCO, the DOJ under Remulla advanced major reforms to modernize the justice system, decongest prisons, accelerate case resolution and expand access to legal services.

Remulla’s decades of service as a legislator, governor and lawyer have earned him “broad respect for his integrity and commitment to public service,” the government’s lead communication arm added.

President Marcos “reaffirms that transparency, fairness and the rule of law will remain the guiding principles of this administration’s pursuit of a Bagong Pilipinas that truly serves the Filipino people,” Gomez said.

The incoming ombudsman completed his political science and law degrees at the University of the Philippines.

No weaponization of law

Interviewed after his appointment, Remulla vowed more transparency in the ombudsman’s investigations. He also vowed not to weaponize the law against the administration’s political foes, addressing critics who claim he would be an attack dog against the allies of the Duterte family.

“The law will not be weaponized, I’m making sure of that,” he said.

“There should be no weaponization of the office. There should be real gathering of evidence, strong evidence that would be presented to the courts. We want continuous and speedy trial,” he added.

He also vowed to give the media and the public greater access to the operations of the Office of the Ombudsman.

“I think there will be more interviews and news coming from the ombudsman’s office when we start there. I think it’s a necessity because the people are really craving for transparency and accountability,” he said at a press briefing.

“It’s not just prosecutorial, it’s also the voice of the people. Whatever the government needs to do should be closely watched by the ombudsman,” he said.

He also plans to introduce “crowdsourcing mechanisms” to allow the public to submit leads or information that could help in the investigation of erring officials.

Remulla said he expects to be sworn into office by Oct. 9 and buckle down to work the following day.

His marching orders from President Marcos, he said, is to “prioritize the accountability of public officers.”

ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said Remulla should prove that he is more loyal to the people than to the President who appointed him as ombudsman.

“Now more than ever, we need a true tanodbayan – an ombudsman who is loyal to the people, not to the one who appointed him. This remains to be seen with the newly appointed Ombudsman Boying Remulla, who must prove his independence,” De Lima said in a statement.

“Now that we have an ombudsman, the investigation and filing of cases, not only in the anomalous flood control projects, but also in the rampant corruption, plunder and collusion in government,” De Lima said.

“He should not favor anyone, he should not spare anyone. He should listen to the voise of the people who are too angry with corruption,” she said.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña said Remulla, as new ombudsman, should allow public access to the Statements of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials.

Cendaña said the new ombudsman should also “begin the process of filing criminal cases against those involved in the massive flood control corruption.”

He said the previous ombudsman “became a barrier to transparency and accountability of public officials,” referring to Samuel Martires, who restricted public access to SALN of government officials.

Sharp legal mind

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said President Marcos’ appointment of Remula was an acknowledgement of the former justice chief’s sharp legal mind.

“That fact was known to the President and that was what mattered. As justice secretary, Remulla served the country with exemplary distinction. He infused energy and meticulousness into how the DOJ did its work to pursue justice for Filipinos,” Garbin, a member of the Commission on Appointments, said in a statement.

“Not even health issues could stop him because even from the hospital, he was running the department. He chose his team well because it ran efficiently while he was recovering. As soon as he was well enough, he returned to the DOJ with even more fighting spirit,” he added.

For Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, the appointment of Remulla as ombudsman “is an important addition to the country’s accountability mechanisms, particularly in bringing to justice the perpetrators of corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects – whoever they may be and whenever these acts may have been committed.”

In a statement, Ridon said Remulla is empowered to initiate both administrative and criminal proceedings against all individuals found liable for the plunder of public funds like public works officials, legislators, executive officials and government contractors.

For Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Remulla’s appointment as ombudsman is a “mockery of our Constitution.” He said Marcos appointed Remulla to conceal corruption issues besetting his administration.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Appointments yesterday deferred the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of retired Supreme Court justice Jose Mendoza as a member and as a retired justices’ representative in the Judicial and Bar Council.

The CA committee on justice and the JBC deferred Mendoza’s confirmation and recommendation to the plenary due to “lack of material time.”

Mendoza’s confirmation was deferred after Senator Marcos questioned the JBC’s leniency in the application for the ombudsman shortlist of Remulla.

Marcos and her allies blocked Remulla’s application by filing cases and disbarment against Remulla before the Office of the Ombudsman for his role in the arrest and turnover to The Hague of former president Duterte.

Remulla was appointed to the ombudsman post despite the controversy.

During her interpellation of the applicant, Sen. Marcos questioned the JBC’s inclusion of Remulla in the shortlist despite their opposition.

Mendoza said the JBC cannot disclose their closed-door discussions about the applicants. He also noted that Remulla was able to obtain a clearance from the ombudsman for his application.

The ombudsman’s dismissal of the complaint against Remulla convinced the members that the latter was qualified to be included in the shortlist, Mendoza said.

— Alexis Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cabrera, Daphne Galvez, Diana Lhyd Suelto, Artemio Dumlao