DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 8 Oct) — Amid the ongoing investigation into allegations of misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman, a city councilor urged outgoing Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to uphold the independence of his office and demonstrate that his appointment as the new head of the anti-graft watchdog was not made out of “mere political convenience.”
During her privilege speech on Tuesday, Davao City 3rd District Councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra “Sweet” Advincula, who is the majority floor leader, hoped that Remulla, a key figure within President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet, would not allow himself to be used as a political tool “for a specific or any power.”
Advincula, a lawyer and known ally of the Duterte family who ran under the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) in the previous election, stated that the Office of the Ombudsman was established under the 1987 Constitution as an independent office from any branch of the government to “investigate the powerful without fear, favor, or interference.”
“If the Ombudsman himself is perceived as partial and viewed as an extension of political authority, then every investigation — no matter how lawful — will be questioned. When trust is lost, justice loses its moral force,” she said.
From a shortlist of seven nominees submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council, President Marcos Jr. appointed Remulla on Tuesday to succeed former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, who served from July 28, 2018, until his retirement on July 28, 2025.
Last year, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability conducted a series of investigations, in aid of legislation, into alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, where Duterte served as secretary until her resignation on June 19, 2024.
These allegations served as the basis for initiating an impeachment complaint against her, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional on July 25, 2025.
Advincula said that Remulla’s appointment “tests our collective faith in the separation of powers and in the independence of oversight institutions,” while urging him to maintain the integrity of the office as “a tribune of the people, not a shield for the powerful.”
“As local legislators, we carry the duty to defend the integrity of institutions that safeguard accountability, we urge the new Ombudsman to act with restraint, transparency, and honor — to recuse where conflicts exist, and to prove, by conduct and example, that the law stands above political convenience,” she said.
Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte criticized Remulla’s appointment as Ombudsman, calling it a mockery of the Constitution.
“It makes sense… sa dami ng problema ng mga nakaupo ngayun, kailangan nila ng lahat ng tulong na makuha nila para mapagtakpan sila (with the many problems faced by those in power right now, they need all the help they can get to cover things up) … even at the cost of making a mockery of our Constitution… God bless the Philippines,” he said.
On Sept. 15, Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte filed criminal and multiple administrative complaints against Remulla and nine other officials at the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao in connection with the arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court on March 11.
The affidavit-complaint alleges eight counts of kidnapping; eight counts of arbitrary detention; violation of Section 14 in relation to Section 12 of Republic Act No. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009; qualified direct assault; expulsion; violation of Section 4 of R.A. No. 7438, a law defining the rights of persons under custodial investigation; usurpation of judicial functions; and violation of Sec. 3(a) of R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
On Oct. 2, Sebastian also filed a disbarment case against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, and two other officials before the Supreme Court.
Lawyer Israelito Torreon, Sebastian’s counsel, said the filing of charges in the Ombudsman and disbarment complaint was not meant to obstruct the nomination of Remulla for the Ombudsman post.
“This is principally to make him (Justice Secretary Remulla) liable for violations that he had committed under the [Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability], and on the side, if that would cause the blocking of his appointment, then that is one of the consequences of his actions,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
