Allegations of unrecorded jail departures by high-profile detainees have put correctional oversight under severe scrutiny, raising questions over equal law enforcement for politically connected figures.
Malacañang on Wednesday assured the public of the equal treatment of all accused—regardless of who they are, their position, or connection—as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) denied reports that Leyte Representative, and presidential cousin, Martin Romualdez had been going in and out of his detention cell in Payatas in Quezon City.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a briefing in Malacañang, denied that any special treatment is given Romualdez, who faces a P7.44-billion plunder case filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Hindi pwedeng ang isang tao o grupo ng tao ay mas lalamang sa ordinaryong tao. Pantay-pantay po dapat ang pagtrato kahit anuman ang position mo, kahit anuman ang relasyon mo, kahit anuman ang kulay mo,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
Reports stated that electricity in the facility where Romualdez is detained had been deliberately shut off whenever the former speaker left his jail cell to prevent CCTV cameras from recording his movements.
Castro noted that BJMP Spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera, in a report sent to Malacañang, confirmed there had been no power outages in the facility over the past month.
Castro also said the BJMP takes the allegations seriously and Jail Director Efren Nemeño had ordered an immediate investigation into the reported incident.
“Initial CCTV verification by BJMP National Headquarters showed no recorded power or CCTV interruption at the Quezon City Jail male dormitory. And no recorded movement of Representative Martin Romualdez outside the facility during the period examined. The investigation is ongoing,” Castro also said, quoting the BJMP statement.
Castro added that the BJMP noted the last movement of Romualdez recorded on CCTV occurred on October 12, when he left his detention cell to attend a court hearing.
The BJMP reiterated that all persons deprived of liberty (PDL) remain subject to uniform custodial regulations, emphasizing that any movement outside jail premises strictly requires a valid court order.
“We welcome relevant information from the public and will cooperate with any investigation by other government agencies. The BJMP assures the public of its commitment to professionalism, transparency and equal treatment of all PDL without distinction or special privilege,” the BJMP also said.
Castro reminded jail personnel to maintain strict fidelity to their mandate while cautioning the public against unverified reports designed to discredit state institutions.
“Alam natin na si Speaker Romualdez ay isa sa malaking, sinasabing isa sa big fish na tinututukan para malaman natin ang katotohanan. But still, sabi nga natin lahat po na may kaso sa ngayon, hindi naman nangangahulugan na lahat sila ay maaari ng guilty,” Castro added.