October 8, 2025, Phoenix News - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially appointed the Minister of Justice, Remulla, as the National Ombudsman, replacing Matias, whose term ended in July this year.

This appointment has caused a big stir in the Philippine political arena.

Several senators, political figures, and even President Marcos's sister have strongly protested this decision, believing it is a highly politically motivated arrangement.

Critics believe that after the failure to impeach Vice President Sara, President Marcos is trying another way, using the name of the ombudsman system to launch a new round of reckoning against Sara.

President Marcos's sister, Amy, publicly spoke out, saying this appointment destroyed the last bastion of accountability and was a crude use of the constitutional system.

At the same time, several political figures from the Duterte family, such as Davao Acting Mayor Sebastian and Senator Maclagita, also expressed opposition to Remulla's appointment, believing that the position must remain politically neutral and should not be held by a former Minister of Justice who is clearly politically biased.

The public also believes this is a political move, and every step of Remulla's actions in the future could completely overwhelm the Duterte family.

President Marcos

The struggle between President Marcos and old Duterte has reached an irreconcilable point. After sending the old Duterte into prison, President Marcos tried to impeach Sara, but ultimately gave up due to insufficient votes.

After the impeachment failed, it was widely believed that the Marcos government would not easily give up the intention to eliminate political opponents, so they turned to the ombudsman system to seek breakthroughs.

Remulla was chosen precisely because during his tenure as Minister of Justice, he often made strong statements and had strong execution capabilities.

More importantly, his long-term political relationship with the Marcos family has been openly known. As a former member of parliament and a member of a political family, he has no independence at all.

Once he takes over the Office of the Ombudsman, he will have the authority to investigate and initiate prosecution against the Vice President for alleged corruption or misuse of confidential funds. This provides a legal second front for the case against Sara.

Sara

Although the presidential palace argues that the ombudsman is merely exercising his duties according to law and does not involve political goals, those familiar with the Philippine system know that this position has great power.

The ombudsman is an independent anti-corruption institution established by the constitution, with the authority to investigate all government officials, make recommendations for prosecution, and even apply for suspension from duty.

If the ombudsman believes that an official is suspected of abuse of power, corruption, or misconduct, he has the right to open a case on his own initiative and can directly submit the case to the anti-corruption court.

Especially for high-ranking officials such as the Vice President, the ombudsman is one of the few positions that can bypass general judicial procedures and directly initiate criminal proceedings.

In terms of institutional design, this is a firewall to ensure that the administrative system is not abused by high-ranking officials, but in real politics, it can easily become a tool for targeted strikes.

The current controversy facing Sara comes from how she used the large amount of secret funds during her time in the Department of Education and the Vice President's office.

If the ombudsman initiates an investigation and determines there has been misappropriation, even if the court does not sentence her, it is sufficient to create significant political and public pressure through measures such as applying for suspension, freezing assets, and restricting movement.

In more extreme cases, if Remulla submits a recommendation for prosecution, it can trigger the initiation of criminal proceedings, turning Sara into a defendant, and even sending her to prison.

In the past history of the Philippines, former President Estrada was imprisoned due to a case initiated by the ombudsman.

Duterte

If President Marcos is determined to clean up Sara through the ombudsman, then the subsequent development path will be very clear and highly predictable.

First, the signal of investigation will be released. Once the Office of the Ombudsman announces a systematic review of the Vice President's office expenses, it basically means the battle has begun.

Next, the ombudsman will start gathering evidence against relevant personnel of Sara, including her aides and financial officers.

Then the ombudsman will submit a recommendation for prosecution to the anti-corruption court. If the court accepts the case, it formally enters the judicial process.

In the worst case scenario, Sara may not save old Duterte, but instead end up being caught herself, and will not be able to run for president in 2028.

However, since the current public has pointed out this possibility, whether President Marcos dares to openly carry out the cleanup remains to be further observed.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559132124717892105/

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