Atom hits 24/7 jail aide for Romualdez as ‘special treatment’

MANILA, Philippines — The civil society group August Twenty-One Movement (Atom) slammed the alleged “special treatment” given to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the New Quezon City Jail, questioning why he was reportedly allowed to have an assistant stay with him inside his detention cell.

“In other countries, these types of incidents are not tolerated; immediate consequences would follow within 24 to 48 hours,” Atom said in a statement on Monday.

“If actions like this are applied to powerful people like the former speaker, then ordinary citizens should also enjoy the benefit of an assistant inside jail just like Speaker Romualdez; otherwise, this should stop immediately,” they added.

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Earlier, New Quezon City Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion told the Sandiganbayan Third Division that Romualdez was provided with a round-the-clock assistant on humanitarian grounds, citing his unstable mental condition.

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READ: Palace wants probe into Romualdez’s 24/7 QC jail aide

While acknowledging that the presence of an assistant may be justified on humanitarian grounds, the group stressed that such considerations should apply equally to all inmates, regardless of their names or political connections.

The group also advised against publicly announcing surprise inspections of detention facilities, saying these should remain unannounced to preserve their effectiveness.

It challenged Malacañang to ensure that Romualdez’s ties to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not hinder efforts to investigate the incident.

“We call for the heads of those responsible to roll if it is proven that laws have been violated inside the Payatas jail,” Atom said. /mcm