Political prisoner support group Kapatid today called out Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Jonvic Remulla’s statement that suspects in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal may choose their detention facilities.
The group said the special treatment is not only blatantly illegal but a “callous insult” that trivializes the severity of corruption the suspects are accused of.
Kapatid added that Remulla’s disclosure disrespects the mounting public clamor for accountability and transparency.
“What kind of justice system allows those accused of stealing billions to choose their place of detention while political prisoners — many elderly and ailing — are left to rot in congested, filthy, and inhumane conditions, denied even the most basic rights?” Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim asked.
Remulla announced that the New Quezon City Jail (NQCJ) in Payatas is “ready” to hold up to 200 accused officials and contractors, calling it the “most convenient” facility for the Sandiganbayan.
Remulla added: “Ang mga indicted ay puwede silang mag-petition kung saan sila ikulong.” (The indicted may petition where they may be held.)
The interior secretary took reporters to the NQCJ last weekend on a tour of the facility he said the likes of the Discaya couple and Department of Public Works and Highways engineers such as Henry Alcantara and others may be held while undergoing trial.
Kapatid however pointed out that under both Rule 113, Section 3 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology manual, detainees must be held in the nearest available facility, subject to court orders.
It means that detention is based on proximity, not convenience or personal choice, especially for those facing serious corruption charges, Kapatid said.
Kapatid warned that even if made casually, Remulla’s statement suggesting the accused can dictate the terms of their detention sends a dangerous signal: that the powerful may buy comfort and leniency while the poor are stripped of rights, dignity, and even the chance to survive imprisonment.
The group said that political prisoners and other persons deprived of liberty endure years without trial, bail, and urgent medical care.
In the first three years of Marcos Jr.’s term, 12 political prisoners have already died due to the government’s deliberate neglect of their basic rights while in custody, Kapatid pointed out.
“Ang batas ay hindi para sa may pera. (The law should not favor the rich.) The law applies to all or it applies to none,” said Lim.
“Petty thieves are thrown into overcrowded jails, so why should the accused masterminds of plunder be spared that same fate?” she asked.
Kapatid called on the public to stay vigilant and push for swift, transparent prosecution of those involved in corruption as well as demand for humane detention conditions for all prisoners. # (Raymund B.Villanueva)
