Former senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and his four co-accused remain isolated from the general inmate population at the Quezon City Jail, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said Wednesday.
BJMP spokesperson J/Supt. Jayrex Joseph Bustinera said the continued isolation is due to standard health protocols for newly admitted detainees.
Revilla and his co-accused—former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan First District Engineering Office Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and Juanito Mendoza—are currently undergoing medical quarantine and classification, a process that could last more than seven days.
Bustinera said the procedure involves medical observation, risk assessment, and security evaluation before detainees are integrated into the general population.
“Doon natin titingnan sa seven days ang cell assignment nila, risk assessment nila, security risk at ano ’yong possible na selda na hindi naman mako-compromise ang safety and security ng ating mga PDL,” Bustinera said.
He said Revilla is expected to be housed with other former DPWH officials who were earlier detained in connection with an allegedly anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. One female official is being held at the female dormitory.
“Sine-segregate muna sa general population then after pre-observation, medical test and classification, risk assessment, saka siya ihahalo,” Bustinera said.
“Meron po tayong medical quarantine na tinatawag,” he added.
Bustinera said the newly admitted detainees were served “ginisang pechay” on Tuesday night and had sopas and bread for breakfast Wednesday morning. He stressed that Revilla and his co-accused will not receive special treatment.
They are entitled to a daily food allowance of P100, the same amount given to other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) for their four daily meals. Revilla was also issued the standard yellow shirt and jogging pants for detainees, along with an extra shirt and a hygiene kit.
“Lahat ng damit na hindi authorized, hindi dilaw, gaya ng civilian plain clothes niya na dala, pinauwi natin ’yon sa kanyang abogado. And other gadgets, pinauwi rin natin dahil bawal ang gadgets,” Bustinera said.
He added that once processing is completed, Revilla will be detained like other PDLs in cells that can accommodate up to 10 inmates. Each 47-square-meter cell has bunk beds, a toilet, shower, sink, running water, and ceiling fans.
“I would like to highlight na ito ay hindi ginagawa para sa kanila. May nakakulong dito ang 3,612 na Quezon City Jail detainees o PDL natin. At lahat po sila ay ihahalo sa general population na 3,600,” Bustinera said.
Revilla is facing a malversation case over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Bulacan.