Boying Remulla takes oath as new Ombudsman

Outgoing Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday took his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

“Remember always that while we enjoy these temporary titles, we should do what we should. [You] trained for this, your life, all your challenges, brought you where you are now,” Leonen said in a speech before administering the oath.

“I ask you, please, do not fail the people,” he added.

Remulla was accompanied by his wife during the oath taking.

Prior to his stint at the Justice Department, Remulla served as Representative of the 3rd District of Cavite from 2004 to 2010 and then as Representative of the 7th District from 2010 to 2013.

He was elected governor from 2016 to 2019 and then returned to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 7th District.

He also served as Senior Deputy Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022.

Remulla will tackle various investigations at the Office of the Ombudsman, including the probe into   anomalous flood control projects.

He has expressed confidence that officials involved in flood control corruption will be held liable. 

Bending the law?

Remulla, meanwhile, was criticized for answering yes to Senator Erwin Tulfo’s question that laws must sometimes be bent to please the people amid the controversy.

When sought for comment, he said it was a “figure of speech.”

“Bending the law but not breaking the law, ano iyan eh, it’s a figure of speech that is the entitlement of the senator who asked me the question,” he said.

Tulfo made the remark during a Senate inquiry on anomalous flood control projects as he expressed support for the return of ill-gotten assets.

“Wala ho tayong pakialaam sa batas na ‘yan. Sometimes, you have to bend the law to be able to please the people. Mas mataas po ang taumbayan sa batas,” Tulfo had said.

(We have no say in that law. Sometimes, you have to bend the law to be able to please the people. The people are higher than the law.)

He then asked Remulla if this was right, to which Remulla responded, “yes.” — RSJ, GMA Integrated News