Ombudsman: Full return of stolen public funds an option for flood control mess personalities

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla indicated that individuals involved in flood control corruption have the option of returning stolen public funds instead of being charged with a crime or an administrative offense.

"Hindi ko ho gusto magpakulong ng tao kaya lang wala tayong choice minsan. Pero kung merong way out, gamitin natin yung way out. Sinasabi ko yan. Yung restitution, bukas pa 'yan. Ito lang, the cellphone analogy. Pag ninakawan ka ng cellphone at tinawagan ka ng pulis, sabi sa iyo, 'nahuli na namin 'yung nagnakaw, baka hanapin mo cellphone mo.' Pagdating mo sa presinto, pag nakita mo yung telepono mo, gusto mo na umuwi, ayaw mo na magdemanda," Remulla said at a press conference on Tuesday.

(I don't want to put people in jail, but sometimes we have no choice. But if there is a way out, let's use the way out. That's what I'm saying. Restitution is still open. It's just the cellphone analogy. If your cellphone is stolen and the police call you, they tell you, 'We've caught the thief; maybe you are looking for your cellphone.' When you get to the precinct, when you see your phone, you want to go home; you would rather not sue.)

"Tao lang tayo e. Kaya sabi ko restitution is always open. We can always talk about it and we can always agree if people are reasonable," he added.

(We are just human. That's why I say restitution is always open. We can always talk about it and we can always agree if people are reasonable.)

Remulla, however, said that government prosecutors would not settle for "discounted" amounts.

"Basta iyong pinag-uusapan na halaga, walang tawaran. Hindi tayo magtatawaran dito," Remulla said.

(We cannot accept a discounted amount here. We are not giving discounts here.)

"Isoli [sa gobyerno] ang dapat isoli," he added.

(They should return the full amount to the government.)

On March 31, the Department of Justice said the government had recovered P611 million in cash and assets from state witnesses in the flood control controversy. They include former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo (P290 million) former DPWH Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara (P181 million), former DPWH regional director Gerard Opulencia (P120 million), and contractor Sally Santos (P20 million).

Remulla said that the courts should resolve flood control cases within two years.

"The courts should also be given a chance to vindicate themselves. It should take us a year to present our case, so the defense should also take one year. So judgment can be done within two years," Remulla said.

"Because we don't want these cases to be filed, we go on a press conference, and then the cases remain pending for 15 years. There should be a result," he added.

Remulla earlier said that the Ombudsman would be filing plunder and malversation charges against Senator Jinggoy Estrada before the Sandiganbayan on Thursday, May 28, in connection with the flood control mess. A separate plunder case will be filed against Senator Joel Villanueva, the Ombudsman said.

Ombudsman prosecutors have filed three batches of flood control cases so far before the Sandiganbayan since Remulla's appointment as Ombudsman in October 2025.

These are the following:

· malversation and graft charges against resigned Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co and at least 15 others over the alleged substandard road dike project in Oriental Mindoro worth P289 million;

· malversation and graft charges against contractor Sarah Discaya and several others over the P96.5 million alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental; and

· malversation and graft charges against former Senator Revilla, Jr., ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez and five others over the alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

— VBL, GMA News