Netizens want Remulla out as SOJ; Marcos nixes resign calls

BBM’s justice secretary has been in the eye of public scrutiny as SOJ Boying Remulla’s eldest son was apprehended last October 11, 2022 in an anti-drug sting led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Las Pinas. Caught in the possession of Juanito Jose Remulla III was reportedly a parcel of allegedly “kush” or high-grade marijuana worth P1.3 million.

Upon news spreads, Sec. Remulla and his brother, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla confirmed the young Remulla’s involvement in the drug sting, both immediately released a separate statement.

Ironically, Boying Remulla before becoming the Marcos adminsiration’s justice secretary was one of the advocates of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte drug war campaign, which various reports said claimed more than 3000 lives, mostly suspected drug peddlers with poor economic background. This on top of innocent civilians killed during police operations.

Remulla assured that he will not in any way intervene in his son’s predicament but the public have been quick and called for the justice secretary’s resignation out of delicadeza. Various social media platforms like Facebook, twitter are on fire demanding Remulla’s immediate resignation. Netizens quickly compared the case of Juanito Jose Remulla III to other small drug suspects which after a drug ops never seen the light day or not abled to experienced a day court, as many of them fell victim to the ‘nanlaban’ narrative, an alibi which police used to justify the killing of a suspected drug personality during operation.

Netizens pointed out that if Remulla is serious not to intervene or interfere with the case of his eldest son, he should resign from post for the sake of impartiality and delicadeza. If the justice secretary will not resign, his statement is meaningless and was just a handwritten letter under the water some netizens added.

But before the call for Remulla’s resignation turned into a wildfire, some lawmakers and even BBM himself already threw support to the embattled justice secretary. “You call for somebody to resign if he’s not doing his job or that they have misbehaved in that job. He has done quite the contrary,” the President said Friday. “He has taken the very proper position that he is recusing himself from any involvement in the case of his son”, Marcos said

In the midst of the controversial issue, Remulla’s previous interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source” resurfaced online after the younger Remulla’s arrest broke last Thursday.

In the July 2019 interview, the then Cavite Representative Boying Remulla, a House senior deputy majority leader, said that he is pro-death penalty for crimes related to drugs. He also likened drug criminals to pests.

He said that the drug syndicates are being run from the jails and there’s no stopping it unless you really put an end to many of them. He also said that these (drug) personalities are just really so pernicious and they’re like cockroaches that survive throughout. “You really have to put an end to the way that they malinger and wreak havoc on our society.” Remulla added.

Juanito Jose Remulla III is facing charges for importation of illegal drugs. Violation of Republic Act No. 9165 is punishable by 14 years of imprisonment to life imprisonment with at least P10 Million fine.