MANILA, Philippines – Cavite 7th District Representative Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla will be heading the Department of Justice (DOJ) under a Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government – a hyper-political position that will put him at the helm of prosecutors, government lawyers, and even as a member of the feared anti-terror council.

The power of the position has made the progressive ranks fearful about the future of dissent in the country. Remulla red-tagged supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo during the campaign. Remulla calls it not red-tagging, but “unmasking.”

In this interview, he talks about studying the possibility of giving amnesty to charged and jailed activists, his second thoughts about criminalizing red-tagging, and even his views about the International Criminal Court.

It’s not a crime to dissent, Remulla says, but it’s also not nice when you constantly hit your government.

Remulla also calls it a “paradox” that Marcos will be swearing on the 1987 Constitution that, according to him, destroyed the reputation of the government of the president-elect’s father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. How to view this paradox? Will the Marcos government slowly dismount some of the 1987 creations?

“It’s not good to rock the boat right now,” says Remulla.

Rappler’s justice reporter Lian Buan talks to Remulla for this Rappler Talk interview.

It airs 8 pm, Tuesday, May 31. – Rappler.com

Read the stories from this interview: 

• No rocking the boat for now by Marcos gov’t – Remulla
• Remulla’s DOJ to look at ‘red flag pattern’ of drug war 
• Remulla mulls amnesty for activists, not warm on law vs red-tagging
• Remulla: Dropping charges vs De Lima ‘possible if it’s the only recourse’