Malacañang on Friday said reports of a “secret decision” in the case involving Senator Joel Villanueva, if proven true, would be deeply concerning and could undermine public confidence in the country’s justice system.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said such an incident, if verified, would raise questions about transparency and accountability within the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Kung ito po ay mapapatunayang totoo, ito po ay nakakabahala dahil hindi dapat nagkakaroon ng pagdududa ang taumbayan sa ating justice system (If this can be proven true, it is troubling because the public should not have doubts about our justice system),” she said.
She added that the Ombudsman plays a vital role in addressing corruption, and any action that creates doubt about its integrity must be properly investigated.
Castro noted that while the Ombudsman operates as an independent body, it must ensure that all actions comply with due process and that any alleged lapses be thoroughly investigated.
“Depende po sa sitwasyon. Pero kung may nalabag po ito at halimbawa ay hindi po nabigyan ng kopya ang mga parties, ‘yon pong time para mag-file ng anumang aksyon ay hindi naman po umaandar (It depends on the situation. But if this is violated and, for example, if the parties were not given copies, then the time to file any action does not run),” Castro said.
She also noted that under procedural rules, a motion for reconsideration in a criminal case does not stop the filing of charges before the Sandiganbayan or other competent courts.
Castro said the Ombudsman should clarify why a case filed as early as 2016 might have remained unresolved for several years before a decision surfaced.
“Lumalabas po kung nagkaroon ng motion for reconsideration in 2016, hindi na dapat agad umabot ng 2019 or two years para madesisyunan ‘yung motion for reconsideration. Dapat naisampa na ito sa Sandiganbayan (It appears that if a motion for reconsideration was filed in 2016, it should not take until 2019 or two years for the motion for reconsideration to be decided. It should have been filed with the Sandiganbayan),” Castro stated.
Castro said the Marcos administration continues to trust Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s leadership, but emphasized that any procedural or legal violations must be corrected immediately.
The controversy stems from an earlier case involving Villanueva’s alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was still a party-list representative of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).
In 2016, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered his dismissal from public service for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the public interest, citing findings that his P10-million PDAF allocation went to a non-existent agricultural project.
More recently, Villanueva was linked to a separate controversy involving alleged “ghost” flood-control projects in Bulacan worth about P600 million.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has been investigating the supposed budget insertions and has indicated that it may recommend criminal charges if sufficient evidence is found.
