Imee vows to block Remulla’s ombudsman bid

MANILA, Philippines — Since lawmakers have failed in their bid to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, Sen. Imee Marcos said “political forces” have adopted a new strategy: securing the Office of the Ombudsman to disqualify or put Duterte in jail before the 2028 presidential race.

At a press briefing yesterday, Marcos said the nomination of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla for the ombudsman’s post is being maneuvered as part of what she called “Plan C” following the “collapse of a people’s initiative to amend the Constitution and the impeachment attempt against Duterte.”

“It’s the new phase in the effort to get rid of VP Sara before 2028,” Marcos said.“Plunder will be the name of the game, no bail and imprisonment until 2028.”

She alleged that Remulla is being eyed for the ombudsman’s post despite having pending administrative and criminal complaints.

Marcos vowed to oppose Remulla’s nomination before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), saying appointing him as ombudsman would weaponize the office against Duterte and her allies.

Remulla said he would ask the Office of the Ombudsman to resolve the complaint filed against him by Marcos over the arrest and turnover of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court.

“I will be filing a motion to resolve the case as soon as possible,” Remulla told reporters yesterday following his interview with the JBC.

Remulla is among the aspirants seeking to replace Samuel Martires whose term expired in July. Martires himself has been criticized for failure to go after Duterte even after the latter was no longer president, for plunder cases such as the one linked to Pharmally Pharmaceuticals.

Under JBC rules, no applicant can be nominated for the post if he or she has pending criminal cases.

Marcos had asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate five government officials, including Remulla, for graft, grave misconduct, usurpation of judicial functions and arbitrary detention over Duterte’s arrest.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 after arriving from Hong Kong.

Remulla had maintained that the arrest was legal under Republic Act 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

If he is picked as the next ombudsman, Remulla said he would reverse Martires’ circular that limited access to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 1 issued in 2021, only those who can access this are public officials who filed their SALNs or their representatives, a court which issued a lawful order or the ombudsman’s field investigation units, bureaus or offices. In other cases, a notarized letter of authority from the public official is required.

Remulla said the wealth of government officials should be more accessible to the public, but there should be safeguards to prevent this from being used for vilification or blackmail.

One of the safeguards he proposed is the redaction of sensitive information and commitment not to publish “some things, which may cause trouble to the people or their families.” — Daphne Galvez