Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he would formally urge Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to implement a 2016 Ombudsman decision ordering the expulsion of Senator Joel Villanueva from the Senate for allegedly misusing P10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
“That should be enforceable immediately by a letter containing the decision given to the Senate President. And the Senate President should be the one to enforce it,” Remulla told ANC on Thursday. He added that his office would write to Sotto to request the enforcement of the order issued “long ago.”
The 2016 dismissal order was signed by then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who found Villanueva and nine others administratively liable for the alleged diversion of his 2008 PDAF allocation when he was still the representative of the CIBAC party-list.
Villanueva, for his part, maintained that the case had already been dismissed six years ago. “The Ombudsman already dismissed the same case in 2019,” he said.
The senator also said he “already anticipated possible harassment plus fake news” and showed reporters copies of clearances from the Office of the Ombudsman confirming that he has no pending criminal or administrative cases. When asked why he secured those documents, Villanueva replied, “Filing cases din po kasi sa mga fake news spreaders.”
Sotto said he would reserve comment until he receives an official communication from the Ombudsman’s office.
