Political analyst Lito Banayo on Tuesday described Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as a “political animal” but said he could face impeachment under the next administration.
Banayo made the statement while discussing whether the Marcos administration could still hold those allegedly involved in the flood control scandal accountable before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leaves office in 2028.
He said the government has until around October 2027 to take decisive action on the floor control scandal because the political focus would soon shift to the May 2028 elections.
“Dapat. But wala ka ng ano, kasi pagkaganyan, ang problema kasi malapit-lapit na ang October 2027. It’s only a year from now,” Banayo said during an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
“By October 2027, everything stops, everything is focused on the elections of May 2028. So pag wala nangyari before October 2027, wala na yan. Everyone will just be waiting for who’s going to be the next President,” he added.
Jimeno pointed out that the Ombudsman has a fixed term and would remain in office beyond the end of Marcos’ presidency.
Banayo, however, said the Ombudsman could still become vulnerable under a new administration.
“The Ombudsman, with all due respect to my friend Boying Remulla, the Ombudsman is also a political animal,” Banayo said.
He cited the case of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who faced impeachment after Benigno Aquino III became president.
“What happened to former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez when PNoy [the late President Benigno Aquino III] became President of the Philippines?” Banayo asked.
Gutierrez faced impeachment proceedings during the Aquino administration and eventually resigned in 2011 before the trial could proceed.
Asked if a similar situation could happen to Remulla, Banayo said it was possible.
“In this country, anything can happen when the President wants it to happen,” he said.
Banayo also cited the case of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as another example of how political circumstances can affect officials holding independent constitutional offices.
It was Banayo who previously floated the possibility of Remulla being considered for chief justice once Justice Alexander Gesmundo steps down by citing information from reportedly “reliable sources.”#