MANILA, Philippines – Itinanggi ni Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla na nag-a-apply siya bilang susunod na Chief Justice ng Supreme Court kapalit ni Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, na magreretiro sa Nobyembre.
“I am not applying,” pahayag ni Remulla sa mga reporter matapos dumalo sa pagdinig ng Senate finance committee sa panukalang P7.2-bilyong budget ng Office of the Ombudsman para sa 2027.
“I have no more aspirations. This is the job I want for myself…to be able to finish this job,” dagdag niya. Itinalaga si Remulla bilang Ombudsman noong Oktubre 2025 at manunungkulan hanggang 2032.
Inaprubahan na ng Senate committee ang panukalang budget ng Ombudsman upang mapalakas ang kakayahan nitong mag-imbestiga at magsampa ng kaso laban sa katiwalian.
Sa pagdinig, nagpahayag din si Remulla ng pagkabahala sa mga pagkaantala sa sistema ng hustisya, partikular sa mga desisyon ng Court of Appeals na nagpapawalang-bisa sa mga kasong ibinasura ng Ombudsman.
“It’s just probably unfortunate that I have to mention this. Many of those that we have dismissed in the Office of the Ombudsman institutionally, in many cases, we’re talking about many, many cases, that were reversed by the Court of Appeals,” aniya.
“That is a trend that’s known to the whole Office of the Ombudsman,” dagdag ni Remulla, na nagsabing napag-usapan na niya ito kay Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.
“I told him about this problem that we have because institutionally, it’s very discouraging to be conducting all of these activities only to be reversed by the Court of Appeals decision that came out of nowhere,” pahayag niya.
Aminado si Remulla na hindi pangkaraniwan para sa mga abogado ang punahin ang mga korte, ngunit kailangan aniyang ilabas ang isyu.
“As a lawyer, it’s not really common for lawyers to complain about the courts. But sometimes we just have to raise that issue already because it can be the biggest elephant in the room, within our justice system,” aniya.
Sinabi rin niyang ginawa niya ang pahayag dahil sa kaniyang karanasan bilang abogado at opisyal ng gobyerno, at dahil ito ay “something that I have to do for the country.”
“I think my experience as a lawyer and government official and advocate speak for itself, It something that everybody knows but somebody should say it,” dagdag niya. RNT/MDS
