Sandiganbayan justice rebukes QC jail warden over Romualdez's detention

A Sandiganbayan justice on Thursday reprimanded the warden of the New Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory over inconsistencies in her testimony concerning the detention conditions of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Third Division chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda criticized Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion for repeatedly changing her statements about the special arrangements allegedly extended to Romualdez, particularly the presence of a personal aide inside the detention facility.

“You’re here to tell us the truth. Stop changing the story. Just stick to one, to what’s the truth,” Miranda told Pacion during the hearing.

The justice acknowledged Pacion's contributions to improving jail procedures but stressed that she must provide an accurate account of the arrangements made for Romualdez.

Pacion, who appeared before the court for the third time in less than a week, initially testified that Romualdez's personal aide, identified as Arvin de Guzman, stayed with him around the clock.

She later clarified that De Guzman was merely on call and generally observed the facility's visiting hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

However, during Thursday's hearing, Pacion admitted that the aide had occasionally been allowed to remain beyond visiting hours.

The warden explained that De Guzman's presence was necessary to assist Romualdez with his medical needs, citing a shortage of personnel at the facility.

According to Pacion, the aide helped Romualdez use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine while sleeping and accompanied him during outdoor sunning activities.

Miranda questioned the arrangement, warning that allowing a detainee's personal staff to provide assistance beyond regular visiting hours could create the impression of preferential treatment.

He also challenged Pacion's explanation that the arrangement was granted on humanitarian grounds because of Romualdez's declining mental health.

The justice noted that he had encountered numerous detainees showing signs of depression during his visits to detention facilities, raising concerns about whether similar accommodations were available to other persons deprived of liberty.

Miranda suggested that detainees requiring medical assistance should instead be attended to by nurses assigned to the facility rather than personal aides or relatives.

CCTV deficiencies questioned

The hearing also examined security lapses discovered during Miranda's inspection of the Quezon City jail on Monday, 9 November.

According to a court order issued following the inspection, only 220 of the facility's 450 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were operational.

No functioning camera covered the area where Romualdez's cell was located.

The court flagged the deficiencies as a security concern, noting that the absence of adequate surveillance footage could make it difficult to independently verify detainees' whereabouts.

Miranda questioned whether authorities could conclusively establish that Romualdez had remained inside the facility since his detention began on 14 September.

Pacion maintained that the jail had other monitoring procedures, including regular inmate head counts and daily blood pressure checks.

However, Miranda said those measures did not resolve the lack of surveillance footage to support the warden's statements.

“I will stress, I am not saying that the congressman left the premises, the issue here is what you [Pacion] are saying,” he stressed.

The justice emphasized that his concerns centered on the reliability of Pacion's testimony, not an allegation that Romualdez had left the detention facility.

The Sandiganbayan also recommended that senior officials of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology investigate the facility's deficiencies, determine whether funding constraints contributed to the problems and hold accountable any personnel found responsible for violations.