DoJ chief denies Ombudsman bid disqualification allegations

Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday has denied reports and allegations that he has been disqualified from seeking the Ombudsman post by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

In an online statement, the Justice secretary stressed that the claim is not accurate and that he is not giving up on his application.

Remulla’s remarks stemmed from an online report that he has been disqualified from the race due to a pending case against him before the Ombudsman, which was allegedly related to the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his transfer to The Hague.

Reports from the online website also disclosed that Remulla has already informed DoJ officials that he is no longer a candidate for the position and if he had been appointed, he planned to recommend either Undersecretary Raul Vasquez or Jesse Hermogenes Andres as his replacement.

The Ombudsman position became vacant after Samuel Martires retired on 27 July. The JBC is tasked with vetting candidates and submitting a shortlist to the president.

In March, Senator Imee Marcos recommended filing cases against several officials, including Remulla, for graft, grave misconduct, usurpation of judicial functions and arbitrary detention in connection with Duterte's arrest.

The remaining candidates for the position include Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, former Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner Kim Henares-Jacinto and Philippine Competition Commission chairperson Michael Aguinaldo.