BJMP: No special treatment for Romualdez

THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) denied allegations that Leyte Rep. and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is receiving special treatment while detained at the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro on Wednesday said the government ensured an immediate investigation into reports claiming power outages were deliberately staged to allow Mr. Romualdez to leave his cell undetected.

“We really made sure to know the truth here because a person or a group of people cannot be favored over an ordinary person. Treatment must be equal regardless of your position, your relationships, or your color,” Ms. Castro told reporters in Filipino.

She cited a report from the BJMP, noting that CCTV feeds from the dormitory are linked directly to the BJMP headquarters. A review of footage over the past month revealed no power interruptions or unauthorized movement, she said.

“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,” Ms. Castro said, reading the agency’s statement.

Ms. Castro said that unaddressed false reports harm institutional credibility. She added that all inmates remain subject to standard custodial rules.

Mr. Romualdez was arrested on Sept. 7 and later committed to jail by the Sandiganbayan, which is hearing a plunder case over alleged kickbacks tied to government flood control projects. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking