Senator Joel Villanueva said he had long anticipated “possible harassment plus fake news” following Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s move to implement a 2016 dismissal order against him.
On Thursday, Oct. 23, Villanueva dismissed Remulla’s plan to enforce the order as “harassment,” showing reporters certifications from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan affirming that he has no pending criminal or administrative cases and is not facing any charges in court.
“Harassment? It’s self-explanatory,” Villanueva said in a Viber message to reporters.
He added that he had secured the documents not only to clarify his legal standing but also in preparation for filing cases against those spreading fake news.
Remulla said he would send a letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to immediately enforce the 2016 order, which stemmed from Villanueva’s alleged misuse of P10 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was a congressman.
Sotto said he would wait for the communication and declined to comment further.
The dismissal order was originally issued by then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who found Villanueva administratively guilty of Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty, and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service. (Dhel Nazario)
