Ombudsman Samuel Martires confirmed he reversed a 2016 dismissal order against Senator Joel Villanueva in 2019, citing no probable cause and forged signatures.
Villanueva had been accused of misusing P10 million in PDAF allocations in 2008.
Newly-installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla initially intended to enforce the original 2016 dismissal order, but has since dropped this bid.
Remulla's decision to drop the bid came after Martires revealed the 'secret' reversal, which was not previously published or widely known.
Remulla expressed surprise at the decision, noting it surfaced only after he decided to act on the dismissal order.
Villanueva previously presented certifications showing no pending cases against him and has labeled Remulla's earlier statement as 'harassment'.
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