NEWLY-APPOINTED Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has assured that graft and other related cases may be filed before the Sandiganbayan in the coming weeks against those involved in the multi-billion anomalous flood control projects.
Remulla, who took his oath on Thursday before Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, told reporters that investigators are determined to build strong cases against the perpetrators of the massive corruption involving government projects.
‘We’re really just making sure the case is airtight because we don’t want to be the reason for any delay. So, the timeline will depend on that,’ Remulla said.
‘But, likely within the next few weeks, when we file, we’ll be ready for trial. We’re at the preliminary investigation stage now. But it’s moving forward,’ he added.
Remulla said he would be prioritizing the resolution of cases to be filed in relation to anomalous flood control projects involving officials of the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWH).
‘I think we need to focus on that, conduct case build-up, and make sure that well-prepared cases are file either before the Sandiganbayan or the Regional Trial Court, depending on the jurisdiction,’ he explained.
Remulla also said that he has already secured the commitment of the Supreme Court through acting Chief Justice Leonen for the conduct of continuous trials involving flood control projects.
‘We want these cases to proceed smoothly,’ he stressed.
When asked if the Ombudsman will not spare even relatives of President Ferdinand Marcos who will be found to be involved in these anomalies, Remulla said: ‘We don’t have a choice, evidence is evidence. Can we ignore the evidence if it exists? That’s our challenge, to produce the evidence.’
Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, cousin of the President, is under investigation after being accused of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects.
At the same time, Remulla said he would look into ‘forgotten’ and aging cases pending before the Office of the Ombudsman such as the Pharmally case.
Former senator and chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Richard Gordon during the 18th Congress earlier urged Remulla to reopen the case which involves the alleged anomalous transfer of P421.4billion COVID funds from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service for the purchase of P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and personal protective equipment during the pandemic.
Gordon expressed belief that former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody anti-illegal drug war, can still be held liable for the anomaly.
Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, former budget undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao and Pharmally official Lin Weixiong have been charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the controversy.
It was determined by Remulla’s predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, that the funds were transferred during the period of March to December 2020 to PS-DBM to outsource DOH’s procurement of COVID-19 medical supplies and equipment without compliance with the requirements imposed by law. Martires noted that the rules only allow outsourcing of procurement tasks to another government agency for the purpose of hastening the project implementation.
However, the former Ombudsman pointed out that the arrangement resulted in a more complicated process which was inconsistent with the purpose to hasten project implementation.
‘We will look into that because it seems to have been forgotten, buried and left-behind. But, this kind of case should not be forgotten. We know there was a lot of noise around it and many believe something wrong, happened,’ Remulla said.
The Senate held hearings, but nothing progressed from there, so we need to revisit it,’ he added.
Remulla, however, would not say if the review would cover the possible culpability of Duterte, noting that this would depend on the evidence.
‘I’m not sure yet. Actually, I was not able to follow the hearings closely. But of course, it comes up in other forums I’ve been part of. We’re aware of what happened in many ways. But, responsibility will always depend on the evidence. It always comes down to evidence,’ he explained.
In his message before administering Remulla’s oath, Justice Leonen urged Remulla to prioritize cases that would address corruption in the country.
‘And may you have the wisdom to find and give priority to the strategic cases and issues that would lead to fundamental reform and rid corruption from our society,’ Justice Leonen said.
Leonen also disclosed that the Court en banc has agreed to create a working committee that will conduct an inventory of all projects within the judiciary that have been contracted to and implemented by the DPWH, if any.