Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla rejected P2 billion bribe offers each from a congressman and contractor implicated in the ongoing flood control scam, following earlier P1 billion offers to secure leniency. The brothers publicized the incident to deter further corruption attempts amid recent case filings against related parties.
In the context of the Office of the Ombudsman's ongoing probe into the multibillion-peso flood control scam—which has seen cases filed against officials and contractors in projects like those in Oriental Mindoro and Davao Occidental—Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that he and his brother, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, each received a P2 billion bribe offer to assist implicated individuals.
This followed their rejection of an initial P1 billion offer each. "A contractor and a congressman-contractor want us to help them in their case – removed from the list, or allowed to post bail," Remulla said during a news briefing. He did not name them but described one as from Luzon, connected to a local group, and the other from the Visayas and Mindanao.
An emissary relayed the Luzon figure's offer via a friend about two weeks prior, while the Visayas contractor's came three to four days ago. "They think we hold the key to their being cleared. But it’s their lawyers actually who hold the key to their defense before the courts," Remulla stated.
He rejected it outright, and his brother felt insulted. "Is that how low they think of us?" the Ombudsman responded. No charges were filed, as principals would likely deny involvement through intermediaries, but the incident was publicized as a warning.
"Don’t even try, because it won’t work," Remulla emphasized. This highlights persistent graft challenges in infrastructure amid the scam investigations.
