Senator Imee Marcos expressed her opposition to the potential appointment of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as Ombudsman, raising questions about the “dark” scheme of the move.
Sen. Marcos said on Tuesday in a press conference that the other party is using the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) as a tool for political persecution, claiming that their previous efforts, such as the People's Initiative (PI) and the impeachment against Vice President (VP) Sara “Inday” Duterte, had failed.
“Ipipilit nila na si Boying ang maging Ombudsman para ipakulong si VP Inday Sara bago mag-2027. At hindi lang si Inday Sara, kundi lahat ng mga Duterte, kaalyado ng mga Duterte, baka pati ako,” Sen. Marcos said, implying that the opposition party is now pushing for Remulla to be appointed as Ombudsman so he can file charges and possibly jail Duterte and her allies before 2027.
She criticized what she claims to be a series of orchestrated political moves aimed at sidelining VP Duterte ahead of the 2028 elections.
“‘Yan ay sa gitna ng paghihirap ng mga Pilipinong binabaha ng tubig ng korapsyon at ng kawalang aksyon. Tinutukan ko ang Plan A nila na People’s Initiative Chacha. Binuking ko ang Plan B, ‘yang impeachment para mawala sa landas nila si VP Sara sa 2028. Ngayon nasa Plan C na po tayo, sa Ombudsman naman,” she said.
Sen. Marcos also stated that she saw these moves coming early on, which is why she filed a case to counter them, saying, “Kung hindi kayo titigil sa pamumulitika, mag-asaran tayo, hindi ko rin kayo tatantanan.”
She also said that the other party was too preoccupied with their “ambitions” for the 2028 elections rather than addressing the country’s current problems. She criticized what she described as their obsession with eliminating perceived obstacles to their “dark plans."
Sen. Marcos also questioned how ordinary Filipinos are expected to survive and get through the years 2026 and 2027 when leaders are already focused on the next election.
“Ngayon ang OMB, Bantayog ng Katwiran para sa mga lingkod-bayan. Pati ba naman ‘yan gusto ninyong baluktutin,” she said, attempting to rebuke against what she sees as attempts to politicize the OMB.
“Habang nagsusumikap ang lahat ng tapat, habang ang lahat ng mga Pilipino ay galit dahil gustong makakita ng tuwid. Habang pilit naming nire-rebond na tuwid ang sistema, heto kayo at pilit niyong kinukulot, binabaluktot, ginugulo. Ang OMB ay opisina, hindi parlor. Tigilan niyo ‘yan,” the Senator said, emphasizing that while honest public servants are working hard and the Filipino people are demanding transparency and fairness, there are those who continue to twist and disrupt the system for political interests.
"Ang mensahe ko naman kay bagong Deputy OIC Ombudsman Vargas, ay simple lamang. Kung nayayanig ka na sa pressure, isabuhay mo na lang ang sikat na kanta ni April Boy Regino. Kapag nariyan na ang suhol, itaas mo ang iyong dalawang kamay nang ganito at sabihing, ‘Hindi ko kayang tanggapin’,” she said.
Meanwhile, Remulla, who is seeking the Ombudsman post, confirmed that the complaint filed against him by Sen. Marcos remains pending.
“I’ll be filing a motion to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” Sec. Remulla said in an interview with the media.
Under Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) rules, applicants with pending criminal cases are disqualified from being nominated for the Ombudsman post.
“Trabaho po namin ‘yan e, to keep the country stable, to prevent violence, to prevent the happening of any untoward acts, and I think we were able to peacefully bring him abroad to face the charges against him [former President Rodrigo Duterte],” he said,
It may be recalled that in May 2025, Sen. Marcos filed criminal and administrative complaints against Sec. Remulla, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Markus Lacanilao, and the Philippine National Police's (PNP), PGen. Rommel Marbil, and PGen. Nicolas Torre III.
The complaints stemmed from the arrest and subsequent turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
Moreover, it should be noted that VP Duterte has demonstrated reliance on her political ally, Sen. Marcos, in efforts to secure the return of former President Duterte and also her father.
