OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday described the country’s flood control mess as a “conspiracy among government officials.”
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clarified that was no red notice yet issued against former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines’ (FOCAP) forum, Remulla noted that the flood control scandal involved congressmen, senators, as well as officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“It is a conspiracy… You know that people in the Department of Public Works were in contact with people in the DBM, people in the House [of Representatives] and people in the Senate on how the largesse was distributed,” he said. “Everybody was involved in bid-rigging.”
He added that the mess also involves “making-money, whether legal or illegal, but mostly illegal.”
According to him, evidence points to the lower and upper chamber of Congress, the DBM, and the DPWH as the “main actors” in the ongoing controversies.
Remulla also shared that there is no master plan for the flood control projects, adding that everybody just wanted to have their own project.
He also said his office has formed eight teams that are conducting fact-finding and preliminary investigation of many cases of politicians in both the House and the Senate.
Remulla said that there are 12 cases that are about to ripen, but declined to give a timeline as he has learned his lesson when he announced last year that big fish involved in the corruption scandal will spend their Christmas in jail.
Asked about the investigation into Senators Francis Escudero and Joel Villanueva, Remulla said Villanueva’s case was in an advanced stage.
He also said he told Co’s emissaries that the ex-lawmaker-turned fugitive from justice must be willing to return billions of pesos to the country’s coffers if he was serious about talking with the government.
“I actually gave them a figure to chew on if they want to talk,” Remulla said in an interview..
Remulla said he told them that restitution must be part of the negotiations.
In a related development, NBI acting director Angelito Magno told reporters there was no red notice yet issued against Co. “The decision on that rests with Interpol itself in Lyon, France,” Magno said.
“They will provide that. They are the ones processing and evaluating our requests,” he added.
The NBI filed its red notice request against Co through the Interpol on Nov. 23, 2025. The former lawmaker is facing corruption charges in connection with his alleged role in the massive flood control scandal.
Co was reportedly in Stockholm, Sweden last month, according to a document attached to his petition filed before the Supreme Court (SC).
The Office of the Ombudsman recently said Co’s petition Co was part of his dilatory tactics.
