Camille Naredo

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025.

Remulla, who succeeds outgoing Ombudsman Samuel Martires, vows to uphold transparency, fairness, and accountability as he leads the country’s top anti-graft agency. A former Justice Secretary, Remulla also pledged to strengthen the Ombudsman’s efforts to fight corruption and restore public trust in government institutions. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

OMBUDSMAN

Dennis Gasgonia

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176148169911320251009-ombudsman-remulla-MT11 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said they are not yet done with the case of Senator Joel Villanueva regarding his 2016 dismissal order that was apparently reversed in “secret” by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.</p><p>In an interview on <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqr_wRFLGI0">Luchi Cruz-Valdez&#x27; Youtube channel</a> &quot;URL,&quot; Remulla admitted his frustration upon learning that his predecessor has reversed the ruling over Villanueva&#x27;s alleged misuse of his 2008 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was still a congressman.</p><p>&quot;Umaga yung kinausap ko si Karen Davila. When I got to the office ibinigay sa akin yung decision ni Ombudsman Martires na nireverse niya ang ruling ni Conchita [Carpio-Morales] na hindi natin nakikita. Walang nakakita noon e. It&#x27;s never been made public, he released a statement hinanap niya &#x27;yung decision,&quot; said Remulla.</p><p>&quot;It sucks &#x27;yung bagay na &#x27;yun, ang sama e.&quot;</p><p>The Ombudsman said Villanueva is now trying to make it look as though he has been politically harassed regarding the case.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/23/remulla-pharmally-scandal-is-most-high-profile-backlog-of-ombudsman-1243"><strong>Remulla: Pharmally case backlog a &#x27;symbol of impunity&#x27;</strong></a></div><p>Remulla said he felt something wrong about the effort to &quot;cover it up.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The whole time hindi sila nagsasalita, ngayon si Joel Villanueva who&#x27;s been quiet about it, ngayon sinasabi niya he&#x27;s being harassed. Pero ba&#x27;t ayaw niyang sabihin that thing has been reversed, ba&#x27;t di niya sinabi?&quot; said the Ombudsman.</p><p>&quot;Tama ba yon? Ba&#x27;t hindi sinabi sa &#x27;ting lahat, may interes ang taong bayan, binoto natin ang tao tapos ganoon? Itatago mo sa amin ang katotohanan?&quot;</p><p>Remulla was supposed to request Senate President Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III to enforce the ruling issued by former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales when Villanueva &quot;revealed&quot; the clearance he received from Martires.</p><p>&quot;We were upended by the fact that Ombudman Martires already released a decision in 2019 that nobody knew about except him and maybe Joel Villanueva,&quot; he said. </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/23/remulla-drops-bid-to-enforce-villanueva-dismissal-after-secret-reversal-1642"><strong>Remulla drops bid to enforce Villanueva dismissal after &#x27;secret&#x27; reversal</strong></a></div><p>&quot;Silang dalawa lang ang may alam. Hindi pa kami tapos... pag aaralan namin. We might have to refile the case, wala namang double jeopardy &#x27;yun. For now aral muna... aral ulit.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>LEUKEMIA</strong></div><p>In the same interview, Remulla revealed he was diagnosed with leukemia back in 2023. It was during the time when he underwent a quintuple heart bypass.</p><p>&quot;Noong pagaling na ko ay nadiagnose naman ako ng cancer, leukemia... cancer ng dugo,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Dito&#x27;y ginamot din ako... ako&#x27;y nagpasaialim ng cancer treatment sa duktor dito sa St. Luke&#x27;s BCG... chemoteraphy, two cycles. Total body irradiation at &#x27;yung tinatawag na bone marrow transplant.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/24/martires-defends-secrecy-of-villanueva-dismissal-case-reversal-1457"><strong>Martires defends &#x27;secrecy&#x27; of Villanueva dismissal case reversal: I protect a person&#x27;s dignity</strong></a></div><p>Remulla said the prognosis looks good.</p><p>&quot;Siguro meron lang ano sa akin marami pa kong gagawin sa mundo. Marami pa ring hamon, pagkatapos ng treatment may mga ilang problema so tuloy tuloy pa rin,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Ang tingin ko lang tomorrow&#x27;s another day... mapalipas mo lang ang isang gabi pagkagising mo sa umaga, isang araw na naman yun... I just live by the day.&quot;</p>

<p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said they are not yet done with the case of Senator Joel Villanueva regarding his 2016 dismissal order that was reversed in “secret” by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.</p>

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said they are not yet done with the case of Senator Joel Villanueva regarding his 2016 dismissal order that was reversed in “secret” by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Remulla says Ombudsman's office not yet done with Villanueva's case

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Remulla says Ombudsman's office not yet done with Villanueva's case

Dennis Gasgonia,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 26, 2025 09:01 PM PHT

Read More:

Samuel Martires

Crispin Remulla

Ombudsman

Joel Villanueva

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