The Office of the Ombudsman could bring a complaint against Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to court within the next two to three weeks over alleged anomalies in flood-control initiatives, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla announced on Monday, June 29.
Speaking at a press briefing, Remulla confirmed that the case against Escudero has advanced to the preliminary investigation stage and is part of a broader batch of plunder complaints currently being finalized for court filing.
“Malapit na, malapit na. Isa ’yan sa inaayos namin na kasabay ng ibang kasong plunder na aming ipa-file within the next few weeks, maybe it will take two to three weeks more for us to file cases in the courts and for preliminary investigation. Naka-PI na ’yun,” he said when asked about the status of the complaint against Escudero.
While Remulla withheld specific details about the exact charges or the fine points of the allegations, the Ombudsman had previously directed Escudero on May 21 to submit his counter-affidavit.
The ongoing investigation into the flood control controversy focuses on allegations of plunder, graft, and bribery connected to the planning and execution of infrastructure projects.
During the same briefing, Remulla also disclosed that the anti-graft body is slated to file a separate plunder case against Senator Rodante Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan this week, while confirming that a flood control complaint involving Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joel Villanueva is likewise under preliminary investigation.