Remulla vows to bare SALNs, expose corruption

Incoming Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has vowed to take a hard line against corruption and to restore public trust in government, saying that transparency — including the public disclosure of government officials’ Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) — will be a central pillar of his leadership.

Remulla, who assumes the post amid growing concern over graft and the misuse of public funds, said he accepted the appointment out of frustration with the “deep-rooted corruption” he has witnessed first-hand in his time in government.

“I really was worried about the corruption taking place and I had bad experiences with some people that made me decide to do this,” he said.

According to Remulla, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. found him “fit” for the role at a time the government is facing multiple controversies over infrastructure mis-spending and funds misuse.

He said he plans to apply in the Office of the Ombudsman the same level of discipline and speedy case buildup he implemented at the Department of Justice that emphasized fast, evidence-based investigations and minimal delays in prosecution.

“We were able to speed up the rate of investigations and case buildups at the DoJ, and I intend to bring the same standard here,” he said.

In an interview over DZMM, Remulla said he intends to make the office more transparent and accountable, and review the current restrictions on public access to officials’ SALNs.

“We should not let the news that should be reported to the people be hidden. We should answer the questions that need to be answered,” he said in Filipino.

Remulla said opening SALNs to public scrutiny will help deter corruption and restore confidence in government institutions. He also vowed to fast-track pending corruption cases, curb “dilatory tactics” in court, and work closely with the Supreme Court and the Sandiganbayan to ensure the swift prosecution of cases.

“When a case is ready, it should be ready for trial. The prosecution must move forward immediately,” he said, adding that too many corruption cases are stalled by lawyers exploiting procedural loopholes.

Asked if government officials should be wary of his appointment, Remulla replied: “There’s nothing to fear. Whoever gets hit will just have to accept it because that’s how the wheel of justice turns — it spares no one.”

Boying to probe VP Sara

Remulla announced that his office will review complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged misuse of confidential funds during her tenure at the Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P112.5 million) from 2022 to 2024.

“Those reports are already with the Ombudsman. We will open them, study them, and question those currently in charge as well as those who handled the cases before our arrival,” Remulla said in Filipino.

Nine other officials are named as respondents, including OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, former DepEd officials Sunshine Fajarda, Edward Fajarda, Annalyn Sevilla, Nolasco Mempin and Col. Raymund Lachica, commander of her security group.

The House of Representatives previously revealed that VP Sara spent P125 million on intelligence in just 11 days.