Newly-Installed Ombudsman Boying Remulla Speaks on Pharmally Case during Duterte Admin
Ombudsman Boying Remulla confirmed that he will revisit the Pharmally case, a multi-billion issue during the presidential term of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Countless Filipinos including government officials reacted to the appointment of Remulla as Ombudsman. He was one of the 7 applicants for the position of the chief graft-buster to make it to the shortlist submitted by the Judiciary and Bar Council or JBC to Pres. Bongbong Marcos.
The appointment of the Ombudsman is made by the president. He/She will choose among the shortlist for Ombudsman applicants submitted by the JBC. There was a total of 17 applicants in the post that was left vacant following the retirement of former Ombudsman Samuel Martires. It was last October 7 when Malacañang confirmed that Marcos Jr. appointed Justice Secretary Boying Remulla as Ombudsman.
Yesterday, October 9, Remulla took his oath of office. Amid the criticisms against his appointment, the newly-elected Ombudsman is vocal about the cases that he wants to immediately revisit now that his term as the chief graft-buster has started. Recently, he mentioned about the Pharmally case.
The Pharmally case is a multi-billion alleged fraud issue that transpired during the presidency of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Based on a report on Inquirer, Ombudsman Boying Remulla confirmed his plan to revisit the case citing that a Senate investigation was conducted then but “it did not move forward”.
Based on the report, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. won contracts amounting to P11.5 billion despite a paid-up capital of only P625,000 at the height of the pandemic. During the Senate investigation, the Blue Ribbon Committee was led by then-Senator Richard Gordon.
Gordon urged Ombudsman Boying Remulla to revisit the Pharmally case. According to him, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte must be held accountable for supposedly defrauding the government during a pandemic.
“I’m saying he was part and parcel of a conspiracy to fleece the country of at least P11 billion to P47 billion,” the former Senator claimed.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla was asked if former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be involved in case the Pharmally issue will be reopened. Based on the report, the Ombudsman claimed that it will depend on the evidence and where the proof will take the investigation.
“We’ll look into that because it seems like it’s been forgotten, buried in oblivion. But these kinds of cases shouldn’t really be forgotten because we know the allegations have weight,” Remulla said.
Previously, ahead of his oath-taking, now Ombudsman Remulla also confirmed that he will reopen the complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.