Remulla vows transparency, swift action on corruption as Ombudsman

Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Wednesday said transparency will be a cornerstone of his leadership, pledging to keep the public informed and ensure accountability.

“What [you] can expect from me here is probably transparency. We should not let the news that should be reported to people not be in the news... we should answer the questions that [we] need to answer,” he said in Filipino during an interview with DZMM.

Remulla said this commitment includes public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of government officials.

He also vowed to fast-track the prosecution of corruption cases and reject tactics aimed at delaying legal proceedings.

“We have done that at the DOJ. The decisive fact that we have done here, the case build-up, is that the investigation should be continuous and when the case is ready, when it is filed in court, it should be ready for trial,” he said.

“Because here, when you're ready for trial, dilatory tactics should be put aside. Because there are so many lawyers out there who are good at dilatory tactics,” he added.

“They are still saying that they have a derailment of due process because they were derailed by the right to hospital trial. If they say forthwith, the prosecution should continue immediately.”

Remulla said his office will work closely with the Supreme Court and the Sandiganbayan to address corruption cases.

When asked whether the public should fear his leadership, Remulla responded: “There is nothing to fear,” citing his record of urgency and decisive action.

“I don't get hung up on things. Because we always look at life with urgency. Like the DOJ, our deadline is always yesterday. Because we know that there are many people in prison who shouldn't be in prison. We know that there are cases where people are not punished,” he said.