FORMER Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla faces a “herculean task” in proving his impartiality as the newly appointed Ombudsman, given his known ties to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a media interview, Lacierda said critics of the administration had tried to oppose Remulla’s appointment over concerns about his political alignment, but stressed that Remulla could still earn credibility by adhering to one principle: to “go where the evidence lies.”
“That’s why they’re going heaven and earth to stop the appointment of Boying Remulla,” Lacierda said. “But I think, as a sign of objectivity, he will; this is also [Sen.] Ping Lacson’s mantra, ‘we will go where the evidence lies.’ If he does that, whether it implicates an ally or an enemy, that’s where the case should go.”
Lacierda cited former Ombudsmen Simeon Marcelo and Conchita Carpio-Morales, as well as former Justice Secretary and now Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, as examples of officials who gained respect by upholding the same standard.
“If Boying Remulla follows that, regardless of whether it’s against his allies or rivals like former President Rodrigo Duterte, he will earn the respect of almost half the population,” he added. “That will give him credibility.”
On the possibility of impeaching Remulla, Lacierda said such a move would likely fail, given the current political landscape.
“The administration controls the House of Representatives,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court’s recent rulings have also made impeachment proceedings more difficult. “They’ve made so many regulations that it’s now very hard to file an impeachment case, which, in my opinion, is a bad decision.”