Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday, October 23, his office will urge the Senate leadership to carry out the 2016 dismissal order against Senator Joel Villanueva for the alleged misuse of public funds.
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued the order nine years ago, finding Villanueva—then a CIBAC party-list representative—guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.
The case involved the 2008 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which the Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional.
In an interview, Remulla said the old dismissal order remains “immediately enforceable” and must be implemented by the Senate president.
He said his office would “write to the Senate president” and “ask him to enforce the order that should have been implemented long ago.”
The statement revived the 2016 clash between the Ombudsman and the Senate after lawmakers refused to implement Morales’ directive.
Senators then unanimously adopted the opinion of Senate Legal Counsel Maria Valentina Cruz, who argued that the Ombudsman “has no authority to remove a sitting lawmaker” under Section 21 of the Ombudsman Act of 1989 (RA 6770).
Cruz said the Constitution and Senate rules give the chamber’s Committee on Ethics and Privileges the exclusive power to suspend or expel its members.
No ethics complaint was filed against the senator.
Villanueva has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying he “never pocketed a single centavo” from his PDAF allocation.
Then-Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III maintained that the Ombudsman must first resolve Villanueva’s motion for reconsideration before the Senate could act on the order.
Remulla’s push could reopen the debate on whether the Ombudsman can compel Congress to enforce its disciplinary rulings against lawmakers.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.