The Office of the Ombudsman has thrown out the complaints filed against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla over the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Both Remulla and Senator Imee Marcos — who first recommended the charges — confirmed the decision. But the story is far from over.
Marcos, then chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said she has already filed a motion for reconsideration, insisting that Remulla still has a pending case.
Back in May, Marcos submitted a chairman’s report to the Ombudsman, citing Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague in the Netherlands, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity over his bloody war on drugs. Her report claimed that the Senate inquiry uncovered acts by high-ranking officials that may amount to criminal and administrative offenses.
For his part, Remulla earlier urged the Ombudsman to resolve the case quickly. He is also being considered for the post of Ombudsman himself.
On September 12, Marcos filed her motion, stressing that it was within the five-day period allowed by the rules. She warned that any clearance given to Remulla would be “untruthful” and accused those behind it of deception.
As of now, the Ombudsman has not yet issued an official statement confirming the dismissal.
Duterte, meanwhile, remains detained in The Hague after being arrested on March 11 under an International Criminal Court warrant. He faces grave charges of crimes against humanity tied to the thousands of deaths under his war on drugs.
