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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Ombudsman dockets kidnapping, other cases over FPRRD arrest

Ombudsman dockets kidnapping, other cases over FPRRD arrest

Published Sep 18, 2025 10:41 pm
DAVAO CITY – Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s camp confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 18, that the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao has officially docketed the affidavit-complaint they filed against Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla and other officials involved in the alleged kidnapping of former President Rodrigo Duterte and other criminal offenses on March 11.
In a letter dated Sept. 18 addressed to Mayor Duterte’s legal counsel, Israelito Torreon, the Ombudsman Mindanao acknowledged receipt of the complaint on Sept. 15.
The complaint was filed under the case title Sebastian Zimmerman Duterte versus Juan Victor Remulla, et. al., with reference codes OMB-M-C-SEP-25-0413 and OMB-M-A-SEP-25-0496.
It also stated in the letter that, pursuant to a Sept. 16 memorandum by acting Ombudsman Dante F. Vargas, all case records have been forwarded to the Ombudsman Central Office for further action.
Torreon stressed in a public statement that with the complaint already docketed, it cannot be cancelled or dismissed without due process. He said the next step should be the issuance of subpoenas to the respondents, requiring them to submit their counter-affidavits.
He added that his legal team has filed a motion seeking Vargas’ inhibition from handling the case, requesting that the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao take jurisdiction.
“The Filipino people are closely watching this important case to ensure that justice is served for the Duterte family and citizens who support former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Torreon said.
Mayor Duterte has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to reassign his complaint against Justice Secretary Remulla and others involved to its Mindanao office and urged Vargas to recuse himself from the proceedings.
In a motion filed on Sept. 17, Mayor Duterte argued that Vargas’ impartiality may be compromised, citing his wife’s connection as a former law school classmate of Remulla, one of the primary respondents in the case. His lawyers stressed that neutrality and the perception of fairness are essential in judicial and quasi-judicial bodies.
Mayor Duterte’s motion also asked for the hearings to be conducted in Davao City, citing three grounds – possible bias from the Ombudsman, the political clout of the respondents in Metro Manila, and security concerns for him and his witnesses should the case proceed in the capital.

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