Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla dismissed the string of complaints filed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, calling them nothing more than “forum shopping” meant to derail his bid for Ombudsman.
According to a report by Inquirer.net, Baste Duterte lodged multiple criminal and administrative cases before the Office of the Ombudsman against Remulla and several top government officials, accusing them of kidnapping, arbitrary detention, and other violations tied to the March 11 arrest and transfer of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to The Hague, Netherlands, where he remains in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The charges, which also implicate Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and other officials, include alleged violations of the Anti-Torture Act, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and several provisions of the Revised Penal Code. Two aircraft operators, police officers, and the owner of the plane used to transport Duterte to the Netherlands were also listed as unidentified respondents.
Remulla, however, argued that similar petitions—such as those questioning ICC jurisdiction and habeas corpus filings by the Duterte family—are already pending before the Supreme Court. “So [the new complaint is] really forum shopping and it’s meant to try to shoot down my aspiration to be the Ombudsman of this country,” he said.
He further suggested that the timing was calculated to prevent the Judicial and Bar Council from clearing his application for the Ombudsman shortlist. “That’s really how it is—it’s really an organized effort for them to shoot down my candidacy as Ombudsman,” Remulla added, noting that he would “roll with the punches” because “the truth is on my side.”
Meanwhile, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio also filed a separate complaint of arbitrary detention against Remulla in relation to the 2024 arrest of Cassandra Li Ong, a representative of Lucky South 99 Corp., upon her return from Indonesia.
