Statement of Ombudsman Remulla on Charges over Flood Control Mess
REMULLA – The newly-installed Ombudsman claimed that he will prosecute even the relatives of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. if there’s an evidence of flood control corruption.
Several senators and congressmen were tagged in the flood control issue in the Philippines. Controversial contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya pinned several members of the House of Representatives including then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
According to the Discayas, Romualdez and then-Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co allegedly received a 30% kickback from the flood control projects. Both Romualdez and Co denied the accusations of the controversial contractors. According to the then-House Speaker, he is a “self-made” man and he will not allow himself to be corrupted by money that is not his.
Co was already in the United States when the accusation broke out. He also denied the accusations. However, he refused to return to the country and even resigned from being the representative of Ako Bicol Partylist. Amid the flood control issue, Pres. Bongbong Marcos ordered the creation of an independent body to investigate the issue.
Following the order of the President, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure or ICI was created. It is a three-member body with the power to issue a subpoena and to move for the freezing and seizure of the assets linked to anomalies among others.
According to Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and his allies will not be spared from the flood control probe. Following his appointment, Ombudsman Boying Remulla claimed that the public can expect that his office his move faster on the legal process with regards to the flood control issue.
Recently, Ombudsman Boying Remulla also spoke on what will happen if the relatives of Pres. Bongbong Marcos will be pinned down by evidence of flood control corruption. Based on a post of Luzon News Media on Facebook, the Chief graft-buster claimed that even the President’s relatives won’t be spared.
“Wala naman tayong choice dito, ‘yun ang ebidensya. Pwede ba nating i-deny ang ebidensya? Kung merong ebidensya. ‘Yun talaga ang hamon sa atin dito, to produce the evidence,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman clarified that there are allegedly no specific individuals who are targets of the case as the focus of his office is the building of case. During the interview, he stressed that he will do even crowdsourcing to get information from the public to fast-track convictions.
“Ang concern natin diyan ‘yung building the case, eh. Hindi sino pero, ‘Anong kaso? Anong ebidensya?’ Everybody comes in there kaya wala ho tayong sinisino rito. Kung mataas man o mababa, pero sisiguraduhin natin ‘yung ebidensya nakatuon pag-file natin ng kaso,” Remulla expressed.
Before he left the top post in the justice department, the now-Ombudsman approved the request of the ICI for the issuance of an immigration lookout bulletin order over the accused in the flood control issue.