Philippines Justice Secretary orders probe into jail privileges for Martin Romualdez

Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered an investigation into the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) following reports that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was permitted to have a personal staff member inside his cell at the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory.

Remulla criticized the arrangement, questioning why a detainee was allowed an aide from the outside, comparing the situation to the practices of a mafia. In response, the BJMP stated it would investigate the arrangement authorized by a jail warden and promised to submit a report to the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The bureau emphasized that it will not tolerate unauthorized privileges or preferential treatment.

During a Sandiganbayan hearing, Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion testified that she granted the request for a staff member, identified as Arvin de Guzman, as a form of human consideration because Romualdez was reportedly not mentally stable and the facility's nurses could not meet his medical needs. Pacion clarified that the aide was allowed on an “on-call” basis during visiting hours rather than 24/7, and that the individual was subject to standard security checks.