‘Fake news’: Ombudsman denies DDS posts that he was hospitalized
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, who is at the forefront of the current anticorruption campaign as the country’s chief graft prosecutor, dismissed rumors that he was hospitalized.
“Fake news,” Remulla said in a curt reply to the Inquirer’s request for comment following the flurry of social media posts that he was rushed to a hospital.
Other officials on Friday also debunked the rumors.
“He was playing golf this morning. We are having breakfast tomorrow,” the Ombudsman’s younger brother, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, told the Inquirer in a text message.
“Fake news,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano also said. “He had a hearty ‘sinigang’ this morning for breakfast,” he told reporters.
Rumors of Remulla’s hospitalization spread as early as 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Most of the postings were by so-called digital creators on various social media platforms associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte’s supporters were angered by Remulla’s legal justifications for the ex-president’s handover to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands, to face charges of crimes against humanity for thousands of drug war killings.
‘Prayers for him?’
One of them was the “Banateros DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters),” a Facebook page with more than 295,000 followers.
Rather than saying outright that Remulla was rushed to a hospital, it asked whether this was true—an attempt to skirt direct responsibility for spreading a rumor.
That post gained at least 1,600 reactions and 1,500 comments.
Another page called “Music OPM Song’s” also posted about Remulla’s supposed hospitalization. The page has at least 1.1 million followers.
It had a lengthy post about the rumored hospitalization. It asked whether Remulla should be thanked for what he has done for the country.
“Sa gitna ng mga ulat, ano ang dalangin mo para sa kanya? Karapat dapat ba siyang pasalamatan sa kanyang ambag sa bansa? (In midst of these reports, what are your prayers for him? Is he deserving of gratitude for his contributions to the nation?)” according to the post.
After it was published at 6 p.m. on Friday, the post received more than 51,100 reactions and 1,500 shares.
The page’s bio said it was “under review for a name change to Belleza NEWS MEDIA.”
“Thank you for your support,” the notification said, followed by emojis of a green heart, a Philippine flag and a fist bump—all signifying support for the Dutertes.
Heart surgery
Remulla’s last public appearance was his trip to Doha, Qatar, last month as leader of the Philippine delegation to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption 11th Conference of States Parties.
When he was justice secretary, Remulla disappeared from public view for over a week after he underwent a quintuple heart bypass surgery in June 2023
In an interview with journalist Luchi Cruz Valdez on Oct. 24, 2025, he said that he had also been diagnosed with leukemia, which was detected during his surgery.
He said he has recovered from the cancer after two cycles of chemotherapy, total body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant.
“My blood now is not my old blood. It is blood from my son. We are a full match; that’s how I recovered, and the prognosis looks good,” Remulla said.
When he took his oath as Ombudsman in October 2025, he said that he intended to prioritize the investigation of the flood control scandal and prosecute those responsible for corruption and kickbacks worth billions of pesos.
He also eased the rules on the release of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth of government officials.
First flood mess case
In November 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman filed the first flood control corruption case. The respondents in the substandard road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, included resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, several former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), and executives of Sunwest Corp.
In December 2025, the Ombudsman filed two graft charges and one malversation case against billionaire contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, the president of her construction company, and eight DPWH officials for a P96.5-million flood control project in Davao Occidental that was fully paid but allegedly never built. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
