After Romualdez transfer, court notifies gov’t agencies of jails’ ‘needs’

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan on Tuesday called the attention of Congress and concerned government agencies regarding the equipment and staff needed in detention facilities nationwide, following the transfer of former Speaker Martin Romualdez from the hospital to New Quezon City Jail.

In a statement, the court’s Third Division said copies of its Sept. 14 order for the transfer of Romualdez had been sent to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“The furnishing of the Order brings the identified needs of detention facilities to the attention of the agencies and institutions concerned,” it said.

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The notification seeks “to ensure that detention facilities are adequately equipped and staffed to provide appropriate care and humane conditions of confinement,” added the court.

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READ: Romualdez now behind bars

The court noted that Dr. Henry Fabro, chief medical officer of the jail’s male dormitory, testified on Monday about the resources required by the BJMP facility, after Romualdez filed a motion for continued hospital confinement.

Enough to monitor, but…

According to Fabro, the jail has the “necessary facilities to monitor and attend to accused Romualdez’s health concerns” and that he can still use his continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, consult with private doctors, take his medications and be brought to the nearest hospital if needed.

However, the court noted that Fabro also “identified several needs” of the jail in providing adequate medical care to all inmates.

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These needs are for additional hospital beds, medical supplies, medical equipment and doctors, the court said.

Staying at infirmary

Charged with plunder over alleged public works kickbacks, Romualdez was a patient at Cardinal Santos Medical Center when the warrant for his arrest was served on Sept. 4. On court orders, he was later moved to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for an independent examination of his medical condition.

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He was transferred to the Quezon City jail on Monday, based on findings at the PGH that he was clinically stable and required no further hospitalization.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the Leyte congressman and cousin of President Marcos was made to stay the jail’s in infirmary since he remained “under medical supervision.”

The infirmary occupies a space of about 50 square meters and was shared by three other detainees on the day Romualdez arrived, Remulla said.

It is equipped with hospital beds and has a common bathroom, with a large exhaust fan but no air-conditioning, he added.

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The PGH doctors earlier recommended that Romualdez get 30 minutes of exercise a day. Remulla said the lawmaker was also advised to have an electrocardiogram test once a week and to continue using a CPAP machine, but he had so far skipped the latter. —With a report from Jason Sigales