Palace: Remulla's appointment as Ombudsman underwent rigorous process

Malacañang on Tuesday defended President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s decision to appoint Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla as the new Ombudsman, saying that the latter went through a very 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. 

"Remember, there's always a process and a very stringent process required under our Constitution and then Secretary Remulla went through that process and he was vetted by the JBC (Judicial and Bar Council) and appointed by the President. So I don't believe there's basis to that concern," Gomez said, expressing confidence that the Justice secretary would be impartial. 

"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.

Remulla was named Tuesday as the new Ombudsman, a day after the shortlist for the position was released by the Judicial and Bar Council. 

He 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?

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. — VDV, GMA Integrated News