MANILA — Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has vowed to reopen and thoroughly review the complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio over the alleged misuse of confidential funds, signaling a more assertive anti-corruption stance as he assumes office.
“Bubuklatin natin. Pag-aaralan at tatanungin natin ‘yung mga may hawak na ngayon, mga may hawak at ‘yung may tungkulin na hawakan ‘yung mga kasong iyon,” Remulla said, referring to the pending cases against Duterte-Carpio.
The Vice President faces complaints involving the alleged misuse of P500 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd) from 2022 to 2024. The cases stemmed from the recommendation of the House committee on good governance to file charges against her. Duterte has filed her counter-affidavit denying the accusations.
In June, the Ombudsman directed Duterte and several OVP and DepEd officials to formally answer the allegations.
Remulla also assured the public that his office would act swiftly on the corruption probe involving flood control projects, saying that reports submitted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) would be validated immediately.
“Sa rules ng Ombudsman, may fact-finding. Iva-validate namin lahat ng data na isa-submit. ‘Yung mga finile na ng ICI, ‘yung ifa-file ng DOJ… Salary Grade 27 and above,” he explained.
He added that the investigation would not drag on, emphasizing that many of the key issues are already familiar to authorities.
“Maaasahan na gagalaw ‘yan nang mabilis. At susubukan nating pabilisin ang proseso. Kasi nga, hindi naman ito lihim na sa atin. Alam na natin ang nangyari kaya bibilisan natin nang kaunti ito,” Remulla said.
Remulla’s appointment as Ombudsman was confirmed on Tuesday, a day after the Judicial and Bar Council released the shortlist for the position. He will serve a fixed seven-year term without reappointment, inheriting a docket of high-profile cases that will test his resolve to restore public confidence in government accountability./PN
