MANILA, Philippines – May personal staff na nananatiling kasama ni dating House Speaker at Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez sa kanyang selda sa New Quezon City Jail, ayon kay Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Jail Warden Lourdes Pacion nitong Huwebes.
Inihayag ito ni Pacion sa pagdinig ng anti-graft court tungkol sa kalagayan ng pagkakakulong ni Romualdez, kasunod ng alegasyon ng kolumnistang si Ramon Tulfo na nakalalabas umano ang dating speaker sa kulungan gamit ang ambulansya.
Kinumpirma rin ni Pacion na nananatili sa loob ng selda ni Romualdez ang kanyang personal staff upang tumulong sa pang-araw-araw nitong pangangailangan.
“He has personal staff to help him in his daily needs,” ani Pacion.
Ayon kay Pacion, pinapayagan ang isang personal staff o indibidwal na mag-alaga sa isang persons deprived of liberty depende sa bawat sitwasyon.
“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,” ani Pacion.
“We are allowing personal staff to stay inside the jail for humanitarian consideration, or if the patient is not in good condition, because we cannot attend to all personal needs of the patient,” dagdag niya.
Samantala, inamin ni Tulfo nitong Huwebes ng umaga na mali ang impormasyong natanggap niya tungkol sa umano’y paglabas ni Romualdez sa detention facility.
“I was fed the wrong report that former speaker Martin Romualdez could go in and out of jail,” pahayag ni Tulfo.
Bago ang paglilinaw ni Tulfo, sinabi ni Pacion sa korte na hindi kailanman lumabas ng BJMP premises si Romualdez sakay ng ambulansya o anumang sasakyan.
“We categorically deny that information, your honor. Since the commitment of Congressman Romualdez [in detention], he stays in his room (cell). Once in a while he goes in the sunny area [of the detention facility]. For court hearings, he goes to the court room [provided by the facility],” ani Pacion.
“He did not go out riding an ambulance or any other vehicle,” dagdag niya.
Kasunod ng pagbawi ni Tulfo sa kanyang alegasyon, ipina-record ng kampo ni Romualdez sa korte na hindi totoo at nakapipinsala sa kanilang kliyente ang naunang pahayag ng kolumnista.
“That was very damaging to our client because it has the tendency to inflame the public,” ayon sa depensa ni Romualdez. RNT/MDS
