FACT CHECK: No impeachment complaint filed vs Ombudsman Remulla

Claims circulating on social media alleging that an impeachment complaint has been filed against Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla have been fact-checked and found to be false. Two YouTube videos, one posted as a short by user @RachelleFayemarv25 on July 9 and another by Tap Wan Rewind on July 4, contained on-screen text stating that an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Remulla was already being lodged. The videos, which collectively garnered over 218,1000 views and 1,958 likes, also included sentiments like, “Wow, that’s good news. I hope they all get charged and jailed for good.” The latter video, titled “Breaking: May impeachment na kay Remulla! PNP handa na sa posibleng pag-aresto kay Marcoleta,” also discussed the possibility of Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s arrest alongside the false impeachment claim. As of writing, no impeachment complaint has been formally filed or made public against Remulla. The claim traces back to a July 3 X post by lawyer Jesus Falcis, who cited an unnamed source stating that an impeachment complaint against Remulla was “being circulated among some congressmen” and was backed by some religious groups. However, no copy of the alleged complaint or supporting evidence has been made public. Several lawmakers have denied seeing or receiving such a complaint. Tingog Partylist representative Jude Acidre clarified that he had no personal knowledge of any impeachment effort, though he stated that filing an impeachment complaint against the Ombudsman was not impossible. Palace press officer Claire Castro also said no impeachment complaint against Remulla had been discussed in meetings with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and no official complaint had been made public. Former president and Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was online linked to the supposed effort against Remulla, also denied any involvement. Her legal counsel described the claim’s original source as unverified. The rumors surfaced days after the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against Marcoleta, prompting backlash from some of his supporters. The Office of the Ombudsman has since dismissed the impeachment rumors as “a move by the guilty.” This incident highlights the ease with which disinformation can spread on social media platforms, potentially influencing public opinion and creating unnecessary political tension in the Philippines, where impeachment proceedings can be a significant political tool.