The diversion of at least P150 million earmarked for a Bulacan flood-control project sits at the center of a complaint that, as of Friday, June 19, has yet to produce a single filed charge against Senator Joel Villanueva — a gap that prompted a youth organization to confront the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) head-on.
Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) marched to the OMB to demand that prosecutors move forward, pointing out that no action had been publicly recorded even though Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla had declared the case prosecutable more than half a month earlier. Remulla said on May 26 that a plunder case could be brought before the Sandiganbayan against the senator within a fortnight.
The timing of the standstill drew particular suspicion from the group, which tied it to Villanueva’s recent move into the Senate majority bloc headed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
“Mahigit dalawang linggo na ang lumipas pero wala pa ring malinaw na aksyon. Nakakabahala na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nila kinakasuhan si Villanueva. Dahil ba bumaliktad na siya, kumampi sa Gatchalian bloc (More than two weeks have passed, yet there is still no clear action. It is alarming that Villanueva has not been charged until now. Is it because he switched sides and aligned himself with the Gatchalian bloc)?” SPARK said in a statement.
For the group, the unfiled case raises questions about whether the anti-graft body is operating free of political pressure. SPARK argued that the OMB’s earlier assurance, when measured against its current inaction, has opened the institution’s reliability to public doubt.
“The public now views that the constitutional body has been weaponized by the Marcos administration to facilitate the establishment of a new Senate majority and to secure the senators’ votes in the impeachment case of VP Sara Duterte,” the group stated.
That alleged maneuvering, according to SPARK, fits a familiar pattern of self-interest among lawmakers.
“Hindi bago ang ganitong klaseng oportunismo sa Senado. Nakikinabang ang kasalukuyang administrasyon ni Marcos sa bagong mayorya para sa kanyang long-term goal na matanggal si Sara Duterte sa pwesto at pagbawalang makatakbo muli (This kind of opportunism is not new in the Senate. The current Marcos administration benefits from the new majority in pursuing its long-term goal of removing Sara Duterte from office and preventing her from running again),” the group said.
Neither Villanueva’s camp nor the OMB had responded to the accusations by the time the group concluded its action.
Closing its appeal, SPARK pressed the anti-graft office to apply the law evenly and shield its work from any consideration tied to a respondent’s allegiances.
“The youth call on the Ombudsman to fulfill its constitutional mandate by demonstrating independence, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that no individual is placed above public scrutiny regardless of political affiliation or alliance,” it said.
