Jonvic: No ‘La Catedral’ awaiting ‘Floodgate’ inmates

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday said the Pasay City Jail is ready to accommodate government personnel with Salary Grade 26 and below may be implicated in the anomalous flood control projects dubbed “Floodgate.”

“I want to assure the public that the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the government, and the country are ready to apprehend, contain, and deliver justice to the Filipino people; we are ready,” Remulla said.

“If they are indicted in court, they will be placed here as regular inmates,” he said as he inspected the jail to ensure its readiness and security.

The jail currently holds 964 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) despite its ideal capacity being only 103, or a congestion rate of more than 800 percent.

Remulla said the suspects will be held in regular cells without air conditioning, alongside the other PDLs.

“I gave strict instructions that no inmate will be held in the warden’s office, so they will be in the common cells,” he said, noting that the warden’s office is the only air-conditioned room in the facility.

He confirmed that no one will be held in the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

“There is no longer a ‘La Catedral,’ no longer a place for rich people to live inside the prison. I will not allow that. The law is the law and we will follow it, no matter how painful it gets for anyone,” Remulla said.

Escobar’s fortress

The term “La Catedral” (the cathedral) was first popularized in Colombia to describe the luxurious prison built for drug lord Pablo Escobar, who continued living in comfort and wielding power even while under detention. 

In the Philippines, it is a metaphor for the preferential treatment accorded wealthy and influential inmates.

To ensure transparency and prevent any special privileges, Remulla said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) will monitor personnel and jail operations using CCTVs.

With Remulla during the inspection were BJMP Chief Ruel Rivera and other senior jail officials.

Last Monday, Remulla inspected the newly constructed Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory on Payatas Road which is being prepared for indicted officials with Salary Grade 27 and above.

In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to accountability and equal justice, the DILG affirmed that under this administration, justice will never be the sole privilege of the powerful.