Ombudsman vows to take flood control cases to Sandigan

MANILA, Philippines —  Now at the helm of the government’s anti-corruption offensive, newly sworn Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla vows to leave no stone unturned in the investigation on flood control anomalies, with the filing of charges against perpetrators and their cohorts with the Sandiganbayan likely to begin in the next weeks.

At a press briefing after his oathtaking before Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Remulla yesterday said his first order of business would be case buildup and securing evidence to forestall any “delaying tactics” that could hamper court trials.

“We will really try to build up evidence because we don’t want to be the cause of delays. The timeline will depend on that, but possibly, filing of cases will be within the next few weeks. Once we file, we’ll be ready for trial,” he said in Filipino.

He said they are doing preliminary investigation, which he said is focused on evidence, not on personalities.

“Our concern is building the case, not on who’s involved but on the case itself and the evidence. There are no sacred cows here. So whoever is involved, even a senator, we’ll make sure to finish the job,” he said.

He said the real challenge is producing evidence that can stand in court, even if it would mean dragging into the legal battle anyone close to President Marcos.

Former speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who is Marcos’ cousin, is being implicated in the flood control mess.

Romualdez has denied the allegations against him and expressed readiness to answer the allegations.

Remulla also said he will revisit the “forgotten” case involving the alleged overpriced procurement of personal protective equipment and surgical masks from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked if cases may be filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte over the case, he said it will depend on the evidence.

Charges related to the allegedly anomalous Pharmally contracts have already reached the Sandiganbayan and the anti-graft court has recently ruled to proceed with the trial.

Respondents in the current graft charges include former budget officials, such as Lloyd Christopher Lao, and foreign officers of Pharmally, including Lin Weixiong, an associate of former Duterte adviser Michael Yang.

Remulla’s commitment came after a request to revisit the issue from former senator Richard Gordon, who led an extensive Senate investigation on the matter.

On the issue on restrictions on the release of statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), Remulla vowed to issue an order reversing his predecessor’s memorandum circular containing the restriction.

Remulla’s predecessor, Samuel Martires who retired in July, had ordered that the issuance of SALNs was only for official investigations, by court order, or upon authority from concerned officials themselves.

Remulla had expressed intention to open the documents to the public, but with some safeguards, such as redacting the personal information and asking requesting parties not to use the documents in “ways that would not benefit the country.”

“Information is power but with great power comes with great responsibility.We should be responsible for any information we secure,” he said.

Remulla is also pushing for the creation of Ombudsman Marshals, a security corps modeled after the Supreme Court’s Office of the Judiciary Marshals.

This, he said, aims to strengthen the security and integrity of operations within the Office of the Ombudsman, particularly on the security of witnesses, evidence and personnel.

The Supreme Court’s OJM was created to address threats against the judiciary, ensuring the safety of judges, court staff and court property, as well as upholding judicial independence.

When asked how he would act should his children, friends, or relatives get implicated in corruption issues, Remulla expressed confidence his children would not be involved in any infraction of the law, much less in corruption, saying he raised them well.

Prior to his stint as justice secretary, 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. He also served as senior deputy majority leader from 2019 to 2022.

Remulla was criticized for answering in the affirmative to Sen. Erwin Tulfo’s question if laws could be bent to please the people. When sought for comment, he said it was a “figure of speech.”

“Bending the law but not breaking the law. 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.

Meanwhile, Leonen said the Supreme Court will form a committee to look into the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in the judiciary.