OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla will push for the enforcement of the dismissal order against Senator Joel Villanueva, issued by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2016.

In an interview with ANC on Thursday, Remulla said he will write a letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to enforce Villanueva’s dismissal from public office.

“I will try to have it done today, so I can deliver it to him tomorrow when I go to the Senate, because we have a budget hearing at the Senate,” the Ombudsman said.

“It’s something that has to be decided between men and between institutions, and it has to be for the good of the people,” he added.

In 2016, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered Villanueva’s dismissal from public service after he was found liable for the alleged misuse of P10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2008, when he was party-list representative for CIBAC. 

The 10-million PDAF was “for the implementation of agri-based livelihood projects in the various congressional districts in Region XI.” The amount was released to the National Agri-business Corporation (NABCOR) as the implementing agency, with Aaron Foundation Philippines Incorporated (AFPI) as the NGO partner.

The fund was supposedly spent on seedlings, fertilizers, and threshers for residents of several municipalities in the Compostela Valley province.

However, the investigation showed that the municipalities were not suitable for farming, and that no one from the purported list of beneficiaries was a registered voter or resident of the province. Additionally, the Ombudsman said there were no agri-based livelihood projects implemented by the AFPI.

The Ombudsman found the former CIBAC representative guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.

The Senate initially did not implement Villanueva’s dismissal because the anti-graft body had no jurisdiction over members of Congress.

If the Senate refuses to enforce the dismissal order this time, Remulla said he would bring the matter up to the Supreme Court.

“We will ask the courts about how the hell do we enforce an order from the Ombudsman when it’s final and executory. Or even when it’s not final and executory, but because it contains a grave offense, you’re found guilty of a grave offense, I think that it’s our duty to enforce it,” he stressed.

‘Harassment’

Sought for a comment, Villanueva has described the Ombudsman’s move to enforce the 2016 dismissal order against him as “harassment.”

In a message to reporters, the senator presented copies of certifications from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan showing that he has no pending criminal and administrative cases and is not an accused in any court case.

Both certifications are dated September 10, 2025.

Villanueva also shared a document showing that the dismissal order against him was dismissed in 2019.

“We already anticipated possible harassment plus fake news,” he said.

The enforcement of the 2016 dismissal order against Villanueva was raised amid controversies surrounding his alleged involvement in the anomalous flood control projects. The senator denied anew his supposed link to the scandal, describing allegations against him as a “setup.”

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure earlier requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against Villanueva and other public officials tagged in the flood control scandal.