From prosecutor to graft buster: Can Boying Remulla stand up to power?

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as ombudsman came at a turning point of governance as the government grapples with public trust and confidence over high corruption.

Remulla is a member of a political clan in Cavite. His father, the late Juanito Remulla Sr., was a longtime governor and ally of the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the current president’s father and namesake. His brother, Jonvic, is secretary of the interior and local government and another brother, Gilbert, was a former district representative.

At 63, Remulla is no stranger to wielding state power. He was provincial governor, representative, and, most prominently, secretary of justice from 2022. His tenure at the Department of Justice was marked by sweeping reforms: digitizing court processes, decongesting jails, and pushing faster case resolutions.

He also oversaw headline-grabbing actions that boosted his image as a decisive prosecutor: the arrest of suspended lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., implicated in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo; the capture of fugitive mayor Alice Guo; and the DOJ’s involvement in cases touching on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war abuses brought before the International Criminal Court.

Now as ombudsman, Remulla faces the opposite challenge: to scrutinize the machinery of the government he once helped defend.

The power of the ombudsman

Under Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the Office of the Ombudsman stands as the chief graft buster, empowered to investigate, prosecute, and recommend the dismissal of public officials accused of corruption. It serves a single, non-renewable seven-year term and cannot be removed except by impeachment, a design meant to insulate the office from political influence.

Yet independence has often proven fragile. Previous ombudsmen have vacillated between fear and caution, sometimes drawing public ire for shielding allies or failing to act on high-profile scandals.

Remulla steps into the post as allegations of massive irregularities in flood control projects rock Congress and the Department of Public Works and Highways. A number of complaints are expected to land on his desk — cases that could test whether the new ombudsman will indeed pursue accountability “without fear or favor.”

“Transparency and action”

In his first interview after the appointment, Remulla struck a tone of confidence and pragmatism.

“Transparency and a lot of action,” he said when asked about his priorities. “The people want to know what the ombudsman is doing — gusto naman ng taong bayan ang ginagawa ng ombudsman (the public wants to know what the ombudsman is doing).”

He pledged a more open office, promising to brief the media regularly and even crowdsource reports from citizens.

“It’s a necessity,” he said. “Sapagkat yung tao naghahanap talaga ng transparency at accountability sa taong bayan — because people truly seek transparency and accountability from government,” he added.

Remulla said he intends to speed up case audits and strengthen coordination between the DOJ and the ombudsman’s office, citing an existing memorandum that allows smoother filing of graft cases with the Sandiganbayan.

He promised to act swiftly on investigations on flood control anomalies, particularly in Bulacan.

“We’ve already studied it here,” he said. “We’ll validate the data and accelerate the audit process. The public deserves to see movement.”

Critics cry foul

Skepticism came swiftly.

Labor leader Luke Espiritu and president of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, called the appointment “a reaffirmation of dynastic rule.”

“We expect Remulla to be beholden to the Marcos administration and its allied political dynasties. They may brand themselves as anti-corruption crusaders, but only the small fish will be punished while the big fish - from the Marcoses to the Dutertes - will be spared,” he said.

There was dissent as well within the president’s family. Sen. Imee Marcos questioned the integrity of the selection process, accusing the Judicial and Bar Council of acting as a rubber stamp on the appointment.

“Nag-tumbling si acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas para i-dismiss ang mga kasong kinahaharap ni Remulla at palabas lamang ang inilabas na shortlist ng JBC,” she said.

[Translation: Acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas bent over backwards to dismiss the cases against Remulla, and the JBC shortlist was only for show.]

She warned that complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and irregularities in flood control projects might now be routed to an office “led by a questionable personality.”

Malacañang’s defense

From the Palace, the message was of calm and confidence.

Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said Remulla went through a “very stringent process required under the Constitution” and was “vetted by the JBC before being appointed by the president.”

“There is no basis for claims of bias,” Gomez told reporters. “We have the highest confidence that Secretary Remulla will be impartial when he assumes his new role.”

Asked why Marcos chose a controversial ally over less polarizing nominees, Gomez replied, “At the end of the day, after the president receives the shortlist, the decision is his to make. The process was followed.”

Burden of independence

For the politics surrounding his appointment, Remulla said the ombudsman’s duty is universal.

“Ang trabaho ng ombudsman para sa buong Pilipinas, hindi sa isang tabi ng politika,” he said.

[Translation: The ombudsman’s work is for the entire country, not for one side of politics.]

He vowed to continue applying the same standards when he was justice secretary - to prosecute only cases backed by solid evidence and to minimize procedural delays that allow the rich and connected to escape accountability.

“The ombudsman must be the voice of the people,” he said. “Public accountability starts with us.”