Senators weigh in on Boying Remulla's Ombudsman appointment

Several senators have weighed in on the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the new Ombudsman. 

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III believes that Remulla would be “fearless” even in his new role, after his stint as secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“I welcome Sec. Boying Remulla's transition from DOJ Secretary to Ombudsman. He is the tribune and protector of the people, fearless in the search for truth and justice,” Sotto told reporters.

For his part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that the nation now looks to Remulla “for decisive and impartial action in the fight against corruption.”

“The appointment of Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla as the new Ombudsman comes at a time when the nation is confronting serious corruption challenges. As a former Justice Secretary, he brings with him extensive knowledge of the country’s major corruption cases and the workings of our justice system,” Gatchalian said.

“This appointment should send a clear signal that corruption, abuse of power, and other forms of misconduct have no place in government and that restoring public trust begins with holding everyone, regardless of rank, accountable under the law,” he added.

Why Remulla?

Senator Imee Marcos, on the other hand, questioned the move of her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to appoint Remulla as Ombudsman.

“Bonget, si Boying talaga? Sure ka? Ok ka pa ba? Nakaraang taon ko pa sinasabi, palpak ang plan A na People’s Initiative, palpak ang plan B na impeachment, plan C itong sa Ombudsman,” she said.

(Bonget, you really chose Boying? Are you still ok? I’ve been saying since last year that plan A, which is People’s Initiative, is a failure, as well as plan B, which is impeachment. The Ombudsman is the plan C.)

“Sa ngayon, ang iniisip ko na lamang ay kaligtasan ng buhay ni VP Sara. Palagay ko ang kailangan natin ay People’s Ombudsman, ‘yung kapanipaniwala, katiwa-tiwala at hindi kasapakat ng kung sino,” she continued.

(Right now, all I can think about is the safety of VP Sara's life. I think what we need is a People's Ombudsman—one who is credible, trustworthy, and does not work for anyone.)

To recall, Imee Marcos 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.

Malacañang on Tuesday defended President Marcos' decision to appoint Remulla as the new Ombudsman, saying that the latter went through a very rigorous selection process. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News