Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Thursday said he will no longer pursue the implementation of a 2016 dismissal order against Senate Deputy Minority Leader Joel Villanueva, following the discovery that the ruling had already been quietly reversed years ago.
Earlier that day, Remulla said he intended to formally ask the Senate to enforce the dismissal order over the alleged misuse of Villanueva’s 2008 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) during his time as a congressman.
However, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires later released a statement clarifying that he had already granted Villanueva’s motion for reconsideration in 2019, effectively overturning the earlier ruling.
Expressing his disbelief, Remulla admitted he only learned about the reversal after announcing plans to act on the case.
“I was surprised by the decision. Lumabas lang siya nung sinabi kong may gagawin ang Ombudsman tungkol d’yan. So it’s a surprise secret decision,” he said.
He added that the matter had long remained silent, both from Villanueva and the previous Ombudsman.
“Nobody was raising that issue before. Villanueva kept quiet through all the years. Ombudsman Martires never spoke about it,” Remulla added.
Back in 2016, the Senate declined to implement the dismissal order, asserting that only the chamber itself has the authority to penalize or remove its members, not the Office of the Ombudsman.