Several posts circulating online claim that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla passed away after being rushed to the hospital. These are fake.
There are no official sources or credible reports confirming the rumors. Remulla himself denied the claims in a recent press conference and said his health is fine.
On Jan. 2, a Facebook page uploaded a graphic card mimicking a news report featuring a photo of Remulla. The image contains the following text:
“January 2, 2026.
BREAKING NEWS. BOYING REMULLA ISINUGOD SA OSPITAL.”
(January 2, 2026.
BREAKING NEWS. BOYING REMULLA RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL)
A day later, another FB page shared a black-and-white photo of the Ombudsman and also claimed that he had died. The post was accompanied by a caption stating:
“BREAKING: Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has passed away a message via phone saying his life on this very day is continued to be honored and remembered by his friends and family. Rest in privacy, no presscon muna. 1961-2026”
On Jan. 9, Remulla appeared live in his first press briefing of the year, where he declared that he is in good health.
“I’m [feeling] okay. I workout every day. I sleep early. I wake up early,” Remulla said.
The former justice secretary said he had asked the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the spread of what he called an “orchestrated campaign” which has “reached the limit of cyberlibel.”
The ombudsman’s younger brother, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, also debunked the claims. In a report in the Philippine Star on Jan. 3, he said the hospitalization rumor is “fake news” and that his brother had, in fact, been playing golf that day.
In October 2025, the older Remulla revealed having been diagnosed with leukemia in 2023 but became cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy, total body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant.
As of writing, the fake post published by the FB page Kwento ng Bayan Ngayon had garnered 2,000 reactions, 1,900 comments and 51 shares. The image uploaded by FB user Erik Clark Su received 84,000 reactions, 15,800 comments, and 3,200 shares.
