Ombudsman Boying Remulla has cautioned that Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) personnel who allowed former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to keep personal assistants inside his jail cell could face dismissal, describing the arrangement as a violation.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday afternoon, Remulla issued the warning after a Nov. 5 Sandiganbayan hearing, during which New Quezon City Jail warden Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion acknowledged that she had permitted Romualdez’s personal staff to stay in his cell and help attend to his daily requirements.
“Bawal ‘yan. That is not allowed. That’s favoring somebody. That’s a violation of the oath they (BJMP personnel) took. I will not hesitate. If we find something, we will dismiss them from service,” Remulla said.
“I allowed it because his mental state is not yet stable per my assessment. We cannot hire more personnel to attend to the personal needs of Congressman Romualdez,” Pacion told the court.
She defended the decision as a humanitarian consideration that jail wardens could grant on a case-by-case basis. However, she confirmed that Romualdez is currently the only detainee at the facility with personal staff inside his cell.
Remulla strongly objected to the arrangement, citing security concerns over the assistant’s access to the detention facility.
“Kapag nakita ko ang personal assistant na ‘yan, hindi pwede sa akin ‘yan. Labas-pasok ‘yon. Security risk ‘yan. Kung totoo ‘yan, security risk ‘yan.”
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda also raised concerns about unequal treatment among detainees.
The issue emerged two months after Romualdez was jailed following the Office of the Ombudsman’s filing of a ₱7.44-billion plunder case against him, former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, and two others on Sept. 7 for collecting at least ₱7.44 billion in kickbacks through 15 transactions involving flood-control, infrastructure, and other government projects funded under the 2022 to 2025 national budgets.
