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Senators attend a regular session as Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano interpellates Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on the proposed Senate Resolution No. 256, condemning recent public statements issued by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and affirming the country’s sovereign rights under international law, February 9, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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PHILIPPINE SENATE

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177071676698420251009-ombudsman-remulla-MT16.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/File" width="960"/><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/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>BAGUIO CITY — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said his remark on his weekend radio program that authorities are prepared to arrest senators allegedly involved in the flood control scandal was made in jest but carried truth.</p><p>He made the comment on Saturday while addressing Senate President Vicente Sotto III, saying the upper chamber need not worry about a possible coup because authorities are ready to act once warrants are issued against implicated senators, whose names he did not disclose.</p><p>“Running joke ’yan, pero hindi talaga siya joke. Siyempre, kapag may warrant of arrest, aarestuhin. Mayroon kaming arresting teams. Totoo naman ’yon… para sa mga dapat arestuhin sa legal system natin,” Remulla told reporters during the Ombudsman&#x27;s Strategic and Operational Planning event in Baguio City.</p><p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure previously recommended plunder, graft, and bribery charges against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada over their alleged involvement in kickback schemes linked to anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>Estrada and Villanueva were implicated in the flood control scandal after former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engr. Henry Alcantara, and ex-Assistant District Engr. Brice Hernandez alleged in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the senators received kickbacks in exchange for endorsing flood control projects.</p><p>Bernardo also tagged Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero in the kickback scheme.</p><p>The three senators have since denied the allegations.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/4/political-dynasties-partly-to-blame-for-flood-control-crisis-ngo-says-1822">Political dynasties partly to blame for flood control crisis, NGO says</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>BLUE RIBBON REPORT </strong></div><p>Remulla said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s reports under Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s chairmanship were crucial to their investigation, which was supported by sworn statements from witnesses presented at its previous hearings. </p><p>&quot;It guides us to the proper direction, it gives us clues on what more questions to ask, and of course, it makes us think of how we can present them as evidence,&quot; Remulla said. </p><p>“Dun naglalabasan yung maraming facts at testigo, so dapat igalang talaga ang Blue Ribbon [committee] when it comes to that. I congratulate Senator Ping Lacson for being a great chairman,” he added.</p><p>Under the revised Blue Ribbon draft report, Lacson said the phrase “recommended to be charged” would be changed into “to undergo preliminary investigation, to undergo fact-finding investigation, to undergo case build-up,&quot; which Remulla dismissed as “just politics.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/9/tulfo-some-senators-still-hesitant-to-sign-draft-blue-ribbon-report-on-flood-control-mess-1722">Tulfo: Some senators still hesitant to sign draft Blue Ribbon report on flood control mess</a></div><p>“What is acceptable all or to most is the most important thing. Kasi nga, nagkakapersonalan. Syempre may mga kaibigan ‘yan sa loob na pipirma, ‘wag lang ilalagay ‘yung pangalan. May negotiation yan, may compromise ‘yan. Pero at least yung pagkakapangalan sa kanila, yung records intact,” Remulla said. </p><p>The draft partial committee report recommended plunder raps against Escudero, Villanueva and Estrada, among others.</p><p>When asked if he was concerned about a possible change in the committee’s leadership, Remulla said his office is not concerned about the political manuevers of the upper chamber.</p><p>“Nasa kanila ang politika niyan. Basta ang sa amin, kung meron kaming makukuhang impormasyon sa Blue Ribbon, edi mabuti… nagkataon lang na maganda ang sinimulan ng committee under the leadership of Senator Ping Lacson,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>MORE WITNESSES COMING FORWARD</strong></div><p>Remulla noted that more witnesses are coming forward but said his office would consider the evidentiary weight of their statements only if they are forthcoming.</p><p>“Maraming gusto tumestigo pero kailangan i-develop isa-isa,” Remulla said.</p><p>“We will not honor any immunity pag hindi forthcoming ang testigo… pag meron silang iniiwasang topic o subject, magbabago lahat,” he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/18/a-quick-refresher-on-the-flood-control-mess-as-senate-resumes-probe-2230">A quick refresher on the flood-control mess as Senate resumes probe</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>MISSING RECORDS FROM CABRAL FILES</strong></div><p>Remulla also disclosed that when files obtained from the computer of the late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral were reviewed, some appeared to be missing, but he declined to provide further details.</p><p>“The Cabral files are on a government-owned computer. Some files were turned over to us, but we found that a few were missing. What we did was access the cloud to retrieve the records. That’s all I can say about it,” Remulla said.</p><p>“Sa cloud naman, mas kumpleto, di na ako nagwo-worry doon,” he added.</p><p>The Ombudsman said he would provide more information once their investigation into the missing files is completed.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/12/dizon-says-cabral-files-need-to-undergo-forensic-audit-2312">Dizon says ‘Cabral files’ need to undergo forensic audit</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>&#x27;NO COMMENT&#x27; ON REVILLA MOTION </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177071680900320260209-sandiganbayan-flood-control-case-revilla-MT7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former Senator Ramon &quot;Bong&quot; Revilla Jr. arrives at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Monday, February 9, 2026, for his scheduled arraignment. Revilla is joined by his co-accused in connection with graft and corruption charges linked to anomalous &quot;ghost  flood control projects&quot; in Bulacan. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Senator Ramon &quot;Bong&quot; Revilla Jr. arrives at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Monday, February 9, 2026, for his scheduled arraignment. Revilla is joined by his co-accused in connection with graft and corruption charges linked to anomalous &quot;ghost  flood control projects&quot; in Bulacan. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></strong>Asked about the motion to quash information filed by former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s camp, Remulla said the ex-senator’s lawyers were just doing their jobs.</div><p>“No response… I do not want to respond to that. It’s their lawyer’s job to do what they are doing, and it is our job to do what we are doing,” Remulla said.</p><p>Revilla’s camp repeatedly argued that the former senator was denied due process, claiming he was not given the opportunity to respond to the updated resolution of the Ombudsman, which named him as a respondent in the malversation case.</p><p>The Sandiganbayan Third Division, chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda, earlier denied the motion, ruling that the information sufficiently alleged all the elements of malversation through falsification of public documents.</p><p>On Monday, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division entered a not guilty plea for Revilla after he refused to enter a plea for his graft case involving the alleged P92.8 million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>EDVIC YAP’S RESIGNATION &#x27;CHANGES NOTHING&#x27; </strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Remulla said ACT-CIS Rep. Edvic Yap’s exit from Congress does not shield him from accountability in the flood control scandal. </p><p>“This doesn’t change anything. He will still be charged as somebody from government who violated the law,” Remulla said.</p><p>The lower chamber earlier announced on Feb. 4 that Yap had submitted his letter of resignation.</p><p>Remulla previously alleged that Yap received money through bank transfers from flood control contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya before the pandemic.</p><p>The Court of Appeals also ordered the freezing of the personal bank accounts of the Yap brothers, including Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, as well as those of companies linked to them.</p><p>Eric is believed to be the beneficial owner of Silverwolves Construction and Sky Yard Aviation Corp., which reportedly bagged over P16 billion in public works projects from 2022.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FkQVh3jct4c?si=R-7k8VOtKIwqAST3" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said his remark on his weekend radio program that authorities are prepared to arrest senators allegedly involved in the flood control scandal was made in jest but carried truth.</p>

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said his remark on his weekend radio program that authorities are prepared to arrest senators allegedly involved in the flood control scandal was made in jest but carried truth.

Remulla: Arrest ‘joke’ vs senators implicated in flood control scandal carries truth

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Remulla: Arrest ‘joke’ vs senators implicated in flood control scandal carries truth

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 10, 2026 05:48 PM PHT

Read More:

Ombudsman

Remulla

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

Lacson

Jesus Crispin Remulla

Ping Lacson

flood control scandal

Cabral files

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