The Office of the Ombudsman is aggressively pursuing its investigation into alleged irregularities in government flood control projects, with dozens of active cases currently undergoing rigorous fact-finding.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla clarified on Saturday that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the matter will be used to bolster their ongoing investigation, rather than serve as the sole basis for immediate prosecution.
In a radio interview, Remulla revealed the massive scale of the current probe, noting that a case buildup is actively moving forward.
“Meron kasi kaming ongoing na investigations sa flood control. Ang estimate ko sa investigations natin [is] 35 to 45 investigations na current, ongoing yan,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman stressed that his office has elevated its investigative standards to ensure absolute impartiality and avoid political weaponization.
He emphasized that the Fact-Finding Investigation Office is meticulously gathering evidence before determining whether to file formal charges.
“Tinaas natin ang standard; hindi natin wine-weaponize ang office. We’re trying to cull in, bring in the evidence needed to charge people kung kinakailangan, case buildup talaga,” he explained.
Commenting on the Senate’s parallel inquiry, Remulla stated that the legislative findings would be “very useful” but noted that the Ombudsman must still independently verify the claims.
“We need to validate it,” he said.
Remulla also announced that he has centralized the issuance of subpoenas under his direct authority to maintain integrity and prevent corruption within the ranks.
“Centralized sa akin ang subpoena. Aakuhin ko lahat ng subpoena na yan para walang masabi sa opisina natin na meron tayong ginagatasan diyan, hindi pwede satin ’yan,” he stated.
Several cases, including those involving flood control projects and potential conflicts of interest, are expected to be formalized by September.
Remulla confirmed that investigators are already polishing a second draft of a complaint for conspiracy to commit plunder, following an initial 61-page document.
“We’re working on the second draft complaint already, sa conspiracy for plunder, ginagawa na namin yan. Ang first draft namin 61 pages. Basta ’yan, iniimbestigahan,” Remulla added.
While the Ombudsman did not explicitly name the targets of the plunder complaint, previous Senate hearings and reports have tied high-ranking officials—including former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez—to the widening controversy.
“It’s about time that as a country, we face [the] reality that we need to fix the system,” Remulla concluded.