As the saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed.” Senator Joel Villanueva seemed to have taken that to heart when he said he had already anticipated “possible harassment plus fake news” being thrown his way. His statement came after Justice Secretary and former Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed plans to ask Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to enforce a 2016 Ombudsman ruling that dismissed Villanueva from public office over the alleged misuse of at least ₱10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Villanueva, who has long styled himself as a devout “born-again Christian,” swiftly countered the accusation. He released to the media copies of documents from the Office of the Ombudsman showing that he has no pending criminal or administrative cases. “Filing cases din po kasi sa mga fake news spreaders,” the senator said, implying that he would not hesitate to take legal action against those who spread falsehoods.
Remulla, however, was categorical in saying the 2016 dismissal order “should be enforceable immediately” once formally transmitted to the Senate President. “We will write a letter to the Senate President and ask him to enforce that order,” Remulla said in a television interview, adding that the decision, signed by then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, found Villanueva and nine others liable for misusing his PDAF allocation in 2008 while he was CIBAC party-list representative.
The irony is difficult to miss. CIBAC, after all, stands for Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption—a banner that now casts a long shadow over the senator’s career. For someone who once rode on a platform of moral renewal and clean governance, the accusations sting all the more deeply.
Yet Villanueva’s fight seems as much about reputation as legality. During the recent anniversary celebration of the Jesus Is Lord (JIL) movement founded by his father, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, the senator struck a defiant tone. “I will not be silenced by lies,” he told supporters, dismissing renewed allegations linking him to dubious flood control projects.
Whether this controversy is political retribution or a long-overdue reckoning remains to be seen. For now, Villanueva is standing his ground—faith and all.
On Thursday, October 23, Villanueva presented excerpts from what appeared to be a 2019 Ombudsman decision which dismissed the malversation case against him.
