Remulla denies special treatment for Romualdez, invites media to review CCTV footage
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday denied that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was receiving special treatment at the Quezon City Jail, challenging the media to review the facility’s CCTV footage.
“We have all footages na hindi siya nakakalabas. However, we cannot disclose it in public but I invite all of you, samahan niyo ako doon sa BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) para makita niyo yung footages to prove na hindi siya nakakalabas at walang out of regulations na ginagawa si Speaker (Romualdez),” Remulla told reporters at Camp Crame on the sidelines of the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards.
Remulla dismissed a viral social media post by veteran columnist Ramon Tulfo alleging that Romualdez had been leaving the facility, calling it hearsay.
“Tsismis pero again I invite all of you to join me and to view the CCTV footages for the entire duration na andoon siya,” he said.
“Nasa amin na yung buong CCTVs kaya nga iniinvite ko kayo lahat, sumama sa amin para makita niyo kung gusto niyo yung three months, everyday tingnan niyo yung buong CCTV ng BJMP ipapakita namin sa inyo. Hindi lang namin puwede ilabas,” he added.
Remulla said Romualdez remained under medical confinement, similar to detained Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.
“But again the special treatment goes only as far as the medical condition allows, but he does not leave the BJMP, he does not receive visitors outside the areas. In fact, he receives very little visitors, parang counsel lang at family lang ang pumupunta sa kanya,” Remulla said.
He also claimed that Romualdez had lost weight, from 260 pounds to about 160 pounds, over the past year.
“We take it all with all seriousness and again I would invite the entire media to serve as witness and to peruse through all the records of the BJMP kung may special treatment or kung nakakalabas kasi ang pinapalabas nakakalabas siya ng BJMP. It is not true and I categorically deny and I invite all of you to look at the footages para makita niyo for once and for all na walang nakalabas sa BJMP,” he said.
Tulfo, meanwhile, acknowledged in a social media post that he had received and published incorrect information alleging that Romualdez could leave the jail facility, supposedly using an ambulance and during power interruptions.
“One of the most embarrassing and humiliating experiences as a journalist is to admit that nakuryente ako. Nakuryente means I was fed the wrong information and accepted it as gospel truth. Worse, I passed it on to my readers,” Tulfo wrote.
He said he had failed to verify the report before publishing it and apologized, saying the allegations were fiction.