Following the ICI Recommendation, Ombudsman Remulla Speaks on Probe against Estrada, Villanueva, Co
Ombudsman Boying Remulla confirmed that they will proceed to the preliminary investigation on the recommendation to file cases versus Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, as well as Zaldy Co.
Countless Filipinos were left disappointed by the supposed involvement of several senators, congressmen, and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the alleged multi-billion flood control scam. The commission has conducted several closed-door hearings already.
Among those that the ICI invited to the flood control probe were Sen. Joel Villanueva, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Sen. Chiz Escudero. The commission is a three-member body that was formed upon the order of Marcos Jr. for the flood control investigation.
Recently, the ICI recommended the filing of cases against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Joel Villanueva, and Zaldy Co, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana, and former Caloocan Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy. According to ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr., they can be charged over direct or indirect bribery, plunder, and corruption.
The recommendation of the ICI was made for the Office of the Ombudsman. Recently, Ombudsman Boying Remulla spoke on the commission’s suggestion to file cases against senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva as well as Zaldy Co among others.
Based on a report on PhilStar, Ombudsman Boying Remulla said they will expedite the process with regards to the ICI recommendation of filing charges against senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva and Zaldy Co among others. According to the country’s chief graft-buster, the ICI report will no longer go through a fact-finding investigation or a case build-up.
“Most of the fact-finding has been done already by the ICI… which makes the facts already vetted or validated already. It is faster this way,” Remulla said.
According to the Ombudsman, they will proceed directly to the preliminary investigation. He stressed that there are already several pieces of evidence submitted by the ICI along with the report.
Amid the allegations against him, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada have filed charges against his accuser, Brice Hernandez. The dismissed engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tagged the Senator to the issue.