The Senate on Friday turned down the request of neophyte Senator Rodante Marcoleta's motion to directly confront Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla in the plenary over the latter’s previous remarks that the "law could be bent."
Marcoleta made the motion during the plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman, pressing for clarity regarding Remulla’s statement issued in a previous Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
Marcoleta argued that the Supreme Court had, in several rulings, reprimanded the Office of the Ombudsman for “grave abuse of discretion” and for acts that effectively “bent or twisted the law.”
He questioned whether the current Ombudsman believed he could disregard Supreme Court jurisprudence.
“Mr. President, in several decisions of the Supreme Court, the Office of the Ombudsman was admonished for grave abuse of discretion, for acts of bending or twisting the law to expand its powers. I may cite several jurisprudence if I must, Mr. President, if I will be required," Marcoleta said.
"And we all know that the present Ombudsman, Mr. President, publicly flouted this predilection to bend the law. Does he believe that these decisions of the Supreme Court are wrong and he is not bound by these decisions?” he added.
Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, who was sponsoring the Ombudsman’s budget, clarified that Remulla’s statement was merely a "figure of speech" and not a declaration of intent.
“The new Ombudsman intimated to me that his direction is to abide by the Supreme Court decision and that the rule of law is supreme,” Gatchalian said.
“Wala pong intensyon to bend the law, that’s very clear. In fact, ang prinsipyo ng ating bagong Ombudsman was to follow the law, and uphold the law dahil naniniwala siya na ang rule of law ay supreme,” Gatchalian added.
But Marcoleta rejected this explanation, saying the public could be misled into believing it is acceptable to “bend the law” as long as it is not completely broken.
He cited a previous Blue Ribbon hearing on the Witness Protection Program (WPP), where Remulla insisted on a restitution requirement for a witness’s admission into the program — a condition not stated in the law.
Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros presented the denial of Marcoleta’s motion to suspend the rules so Remulla could be summoned to the plenary.
“We have very rarely given way to such a motion to suspend the rules, especially during budget plenary deliberations. I apologize that it may not be possible also this morning...We are not entertaining the motion, but the chairman remains fully capable of addressing the issue raised," she added.
