Remulla vows swift filing of corruption cases, prioritizes flood control scandal

As newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla formally took his oath on Thursday, 9 October 2025, he said he plans to file cases before the Sandiganbayan in the next few weeks, prioritizing urgent issues such as the DPWH flood control scandal.

On top of his list is the controversial flood control case involving officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and private contractors, which he described as an emergency situation requiring immediate legal action.

“I think this is an emergency situation when it comes to what happened on DPWH. I think that we have to concentrate on that, do case build up and make sure that a very well prepared case goes to Sandiganbayan and the RTCs (Regional Trial Courts),” Remulla said.

The Ombudsman emphasized that evidence in the case continues to build up and assured that his office will not be the cause of any delay. He said the filing of cases could take place within weeks.

“The timeline for that will still, of course, depend on the evidence, but we are also already gathering a lot of evidence. We will really strive to complete it fully because we don’t want to be the cause of the delay,” Remulla stated.

“It's likely that within the next few weeks, once we file the case, we'll be ready for trial. So that will only be a PI (preliminary investigation), and it will be continuous,” he added.

Remulla also vowed that everyone involved will be held accountable under the law, based solely on evidence and without bias toward any personality.

“It's not about who, but what the case is and what the evidence is, that's why everybody comes in there. We don't distinguish anyone, whether high or low-ranking, but we will ensure the evidence is focused, even against a senator,” he emphasized.

Additionally, Remulla said cases such as the Pharmally corruption issue will be reviewed again, depending on available evidence.

When asked about the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) memorandum of his predecessor, Samuel Martires, Remulla said while SALNs should be public, his office is studying new rules to ensure compliance with data privacy laws by redacting sensitive parts of the documents.

“Because it might just become political noise and turn into poison, so we might have to rethink that again,” he explained.