Marcos appoints DOJ chief Remulla as Ombudsman

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has appointed Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the new Ombudsman, a day after the shortlist for the position was released.

Remulla will replace former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, whose term expired on July 27. He will serve a fixed term of seven years without reappointment.

EXPLAINER: What are the powers of the Ombudsman?

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office vowed that the 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 PCO said.

''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,'' it added.

The Office of the Ombudsman handles the complaints filed against high-ranking government officials and those occupying supervisory positions, complaints involving grave offenses as well as complaints involving large sums of money and/or properties.

Remulla previously vowed that the Tanodbayan's office would not be used as a weapon, saying that “too much politics” are taking place in the office.

“One thing I intend to do is to do away with the Ombudsman, the Office of the Ombudsman, used as a weapon against people,” he had told the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

“Too many cases filed, in-partisan politics, which some [are] meritorious and some are not very meritorious. And I think we have to do away with many of these that are really meant there to harass people,” he added.

The PCO reaffirmed that transparency, fairness, and the rule of law would remain the guiding principles of the Marcos administration.

Swift action

In an interview with reporters following the Palace's announcement, Remulla assured that he would lead swift action on matters related to the investigation on the flood control corruption scandal once he assumes his new post as the new Ombudsman.

"Sa rules ng Ombusdman, may fact-finding. Iva-validate namin lahat ng data na isa-submit. 'Yung mga finile na ng ICI, 'yung ifa-file ng DOJ (Department of Justice) na with regards to those... Salary Grade 27 and above," Remulla said, referring to Marcos-created Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

(Under the rules of the Ombudsman, there is a fact-finding process. We will validate all the data submitted. Those already filed by the ICI, and those to be filed by the DOJ, will be in relation to individuals with Salary Grade 27 and above.)

"Maaasahan na gagalaw 'yan nang mabilis. At susubukan nating pabilisin ang proseso. Kasi nga, hindi naman ito lihim na sa atin. Alam na natin ang nangyari kaya bibilisan natin nang kaunti ito," Remulla said.

(We can expect that it will move quickly. And we will try to speed up the process. Because, as we know, this is no secret to us. We already know what happened, so we will hasten it a bit.)

'Rigorous' selection process

At a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Acting Secretary Dave Gomez was asked regarding concerns about Remulla's partisanship due to allegations that he would pin down Marcos' political rivals. 

Gomez said he sees no basis for those claims. 

"I wouldn't say that he is the most controversial, as I said there's a vetting process which is provided for by our Constitution and our laws and he went through that very rigorous process, selection process, which started with the JBC," he added.

To recall, Senator Imee Marcos, the President's sister, claimed that Remulla was being pushed into the Ombudsman post in order to jail Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies by 2028.

Ombudsman complaints

With his appointment, Remulla is expected to tackle pending complaints filed with the Ombudsman.

One of these was a complaint filed against Duterte for the alleged misuse of P500 million in confidential funds of the OVP and P112.5 million in confidential funds of DepEd from 2022 to 2024.

This stemmed from the recommendation of the  House committee on good governance and public accountability to file charges against her.

In June, the Ombudsman directed Duterte and nine officials from the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President to respond to the charges.

She has filed her counter-affidavit answering the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure has recommended the possible filing of graft, malversation, and falsification charges against former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and other Department of Public Works and Highways officials over their alleged links to the P289.5 million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The Ombudsman said it is also investigating Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana over his alleged link to anomalous flood control projects.

DOJ chief

Meanwhile, Remulla said Justice Undersecretary Fredderick Vida will serve as the acting chief of the DOJ.

Remulla was appointed secretary of the Department of Justice in July 2022.

Shortly after his appointment, in October 2022, his son Juanito III was arrested by authorities in connection to a parcel that contained P1.3 million worth of "kush" or high-grade marijuana.

Juanito III was later acquitted by the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Branch 197.

Meanwhile, during his tenure as secretary, Remulla pushed for prison reform, raised the standards of evidence from probable cause to prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction, and broadened the role of prosecutors in case build-up.

Currently, the Justice Department is continuing its investigation on missing sabungeros and anomalous flood control projects.

Meanwhile, other issues tackled under Remulla include the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, the case against detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the killing of late Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, issues on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte and subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Court.

Prior to his appointment, Senator Marcos filed a case against Remulla and other government officials over Duterte’s arrest with the Ombudsman.

In September, the Ombudsman dismissed the complaint. Marcos filed a motion for reconsideration shortly after.—AOL/ VDV, GMA Integrated News