Warden: Martin Romualdez's personal staff a regular visitor

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The personal staff of former Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, Arvin de Guzman, gets to stay in the New Quezon City jail only during visiting hours, Jail Warden Lourdes Pacion said Monday.

Pacion made the clarification during the hearing on Romualdez’s whereabouts before the Sandiganbayan Third Division amid allegations of columnist Ramon Tulfo that the former speaker is able to leave the BJMP facility as he pleases in an ambulance, an allegation that Tulfo has since retracted for being false.

Romualdez, on the other hand, is in detention amid a P7.4 billion plunder charge leveled against him and three others over his alleged involvement in the flood control projects kickback scheme.

“Actually, the person allowed, he is a visitor. He is included in the visitor's list,” Pacion said.

This was different from Pacion’s earlier account where she said that he allowed Romualdez’s personal staff to stay with the lawmaker 24/7 due to Romualdez’s unstable mental health condition.

Asked by the court justices if De Guzman was allowed from 8 am to 5 pm inside the cell of Romualdez, Pacion answered yes.

“After visiting hours [of 8 am to 5 pm], he is on call 24/7,” Pacion added.

Pacion also apologized before the anti-graft court for saying that the personal staff of Romualdez is with the lawmaker 24/7.

“Sorry ‘your honor, siguro nataranta lang po ako your honor, pasensiya na po,” Pacion said.

(I am sorry. I was just flustered. I apologize.)

Romualdez’s legal counsel, Judd Roy, also confirmed before the Sandiganbayan that Romualdez’s legal team asked for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to allow De Guzman, a longtime staff member of Romualdez, to assist the former Speaker with his medical needs.

Roy said De Guzman had worked for Romualdez for years and was familiar with his medical requirements, including the medications he needed to take. — RSJ, GMA News