A detention cell at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas is ready for former House Speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who remains confined at a hospital following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him, officials said Tuesday.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government could not prevent suspects from entering hospitals before courts issued warrants for their arrest.

“Ayan ang mahirap dito eh. Wala kaming karapatan na iintercept sila bago lumabas yung warrant of arrest so telegraphed lagi kasi eh. Na file na, alam nila na raffle na so inuunahan nila. In this case, actually dito lang kay Speaker Martin nangyari yan. Kay former sSecretary Bonoan dito nakita ang kanyang kundisyon, hindi siya dumiretso sa hospital. Kay Sen. Marcoleta ganun rin dito nakita yung kundisyon niya, hindi sa hospital. Kay speaker lang ang dumiretso talaga sa hospital,” Remulla said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.

Remulla said he had instructed Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Director Efren Nemeño to prepare a cell for Romualdez.

Nemeño confirmed to DAILY TRIBUNE that the bureau had been ordered to prepare the detention facility.

Building A of the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory is at 80 percent occupancy and has 14 vacant cells, each capable of accommodating up to 10 persons deprived of liberty.

Building B is unoccupied and can accommodate as many as 3,000 detainees.

Romualdez would receive the same meals and drinking water provided to the rest of the jail population. He would also have access to round-the-clock in-house medical services.

The daily food allocation has been increased from P70 to P100 for each detainee.

Two to five relatives may visit at a time in designated areas. Visitors may bring cooked food, subject to inspection, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., except on Mondays and Fridays.

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan Third Division scheduled a hearing on Romualdez’s manifestation of hospital confinement and urgent motion for continued hospital confinement under custody at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, 10 September.

The court also ordered subpoenas issued to Romualdez’s attending physicians. It directed the lawmaker to attend the hearing if his medical condition permits.