Manila, Philippines —
What began as a calm radio interview turned into one of the most explosive political exchanges of the year — a fiery verbal clash between former Ombudsman Samuel Martires and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.

For months, rumors swirled around alleged “secret decisions” made by Martires during his tenure as Ombudsman. But on that morning, the retired justice finally broke his silence — and his words landed like thunder.

“Whoever can say I did something anomalous at the Office of the Ombudsman,” Martires said firmly, “let him come out, and I will answer — one by one!”

THE CONFRONTATION THAT SHOOK THE AIRWAVES

The interview began innocently enough on DZRH’s morning program, hosted by Deo Macalma. The topic: the controversial remarks of Justice Secretary Boying Remulla, who claimed there was a “secret decision” involving the case of Senator Joel Villanueva, allegedly buried by the Ombudsman’s office.

But within minutes, Martires’s tone hardened.

“Secret decision? Where did Secretary Remulla even get that?” he snapped. “The records are all there — in the case management system. If he bothered to check before talking to the media, he would have seen it!”

Listeners could practically hear the tension crackle through the airwaves.

As Macalma tried to calm him down, Martires pressed on:

“I’ve kept quiet long enough. But now, I’ll speak: I’ve never hidden any decision. I’ve never taken a single peso. I did my job — and I did it clean.”

THE ROOT OF THE CLASH: THE VILLANUEVA CASE

The feud traces back to a 2016 graft case filed against Senator Joel Villanueva, involving alleged misuse of ₱10 million in pork barrel funds. The Ombudsman at the time, Conchita Carpio-Morales, dismissed Villanueva from office. But in 2019, Martires — who had by then succeeded Morales — reversed the ruling after reviewing the evidence.

His justification? A crucial NBI report showed that Villanueva’s supposed signature on the documents did not match his real one.

“The handwriting experts said it clearly — that wasn’t Villanueva’s signature,” Martires explained. “If the Ombudsman refuses to trust its own investigating agency, then it becomes not a protector of the people, but a persecutor of the people.”

The words struck hard — a direct rebuke not only to his critics but also to the new Ombudsman’s allies in the Department of Justice.

REMULLA UNDER FIRE

Secretary Remulla, known for his aggressive statements and media flair, had previously implied that Martires’s reversal of the Villanueva case was suspicious, hinting at a possible “hidden order.”

But Martires turned the accusation upside down.

“If anyone made a mistake, it was him,” Martires said. “Instead of checking the records, he ran to the media to show off. And now he’s embarrassed. He’s making excuses.”

He added sharply,

“Maybe he’s surrounded by people who feed him wrong information. Maybe someone wants to pit us against each other. But I’m not playing that game.”

Political observers were stunned. Never before had a former Ombudsman so directly and publicly challenged a sitting Cabinet member.

THE DUTERTE CONNECTION

Then came the line that set social media ablaze.

“People keep connecting me to President Duterte,” Martires said. “Let me make this clear once and for all: when I was appointed, Digong only told me one thing — ‘Do your job.’ That’s it.”

He leaned closer to the microphone.

“Not once — not once — did he ever call to ask for a favor. Not him, not Bong Go, not anyone. That’s why I respect him. He never interfered.”

It was a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes relationship between Duterte and one of his most trusted appointees.

Martires’s voice softened for a moment.

“People can call me anything. But I was never ‘diehard Duterte.’ I was — and still am — a Marcos loyalist. Not to the son, but to the father. That’s my truth.”

The admission drew a murmur of surprise from listeners — a revelation that blurred the usual political loyalties of the Duterte-Marcos alliance.