ACTING Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte yesterday filed charges against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla and several top government officials for the arrest of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, upon orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
DOJ chief Remulla asserted however, that Duterte’s charges against him and several others were specifically targeting his application for the Ombudsman post.
Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos filed an urgent motion seeking to inhibit acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas and the panel of investigators from the appeal she initiated on the alleged arbitrary detention of Duterte on March 11, 2025.
Cited as respondents in the information lodged by the younger Duterte were Interior and Local Government Secretary Juan Victor Remulla, National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, and ex-Philippine National Police chiefs Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil and Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
The respondents were accused of eight counts of abduction under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code, eight counts of arbitrary detention under Article 124 of the RPC, two counts of violation of the rights of persons arrested under Republic Act 7438, violation of the Anti-Torture Act under RA 9745, qualified direct assault under Article 148, expulsion under Article 127, usurpation of judicial functions under Article 241, and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Also included in the administrative and criminal complaints were special envoy for transnational crime Markus Lacanilao, Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes executive director Anthony Alcantara, National Prosecution Service prosecutor general Richard Anthony Fadullon and former PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo.
Two unidentified aircraft operators, two other police officers, and the owner of the jet that transported the former Philippine leader were likewise named as respondents.
The younger Duterte and his lawyer Israelito Torreon also cited in their complaints serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, disloyalty to the Republic, oppression and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
In her motion submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, Imee Marcos said several circumstances displayed the “bias” of Vargas and six probers, hence, they “must inhibit” from the resolution of her motion for reconsideration filed on Sept. 12, 2025.
The motion challenged the Ombudsman’s dismissal of her complaints for grant, usurpation of authority, and arbitrary detention against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and six others.
To recall, Marcos submitted last May to the Ombudsman a chairman’s report on Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague, Netherlands to face charges for crimes against humanity arising from his bloody anti-drug war.
The letter said the inquiry “uncovered acts by high-ranking government officials which very likely constitute criminal and administrative offenses.”
In a press briefing, Remulla claimed that that the filing of Duterte’s complaints was a form of forum shopping because that there was a pending petition before the Supreme Court in connection with the legality of the arrest of ex-President Duterte.
“They want to make it impossible for the JBC [Judicial and Bar Council] to get the requirements that I have to submit. It is really an organized effort to shoot down my candidacy as Ombudsman,” he said.
“It is really forum shopping. It is meant to try to shoot down my aspiration to be the Ombudsman,” Remulla argued.
He confirmed earlier that the complaint against him has already been dismissed by the Ombudsman.
However, the DOJ chief has yet to submit his clearance to the JBC due to the motion for reconsideration filed by Senator Imee Marcos.
The clearance must be submitted by the end of JBC’s deliberation to prove that an applicant is not facing any criminal or administrative case.
Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio also filed yesterday arbitrary detention and graft complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on the arrest of Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators personalities Shiela Guo and Cassandra Li Ong in 2024.
In the complaint, Topacio claimed that the arrest of Guo and Ong in Indonesia and their detention by the National Bureau of Investigation for four days were in gross violation of the law.
