DILG prepares new QC jail for flood control suspects, cites equal treatment

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has designated the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas to house up to 200 individuals expected to be indicted in the multi-billion-peso flood control corruption mess.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed the plan on October 20, utilizing the new facility to deliver a firm message that high-profile suspects will not receive special detention treatment.

He said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is preparing regular jail cells, not the custodial facilities at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, to detain those to be charged.

“The rules of the jail will apply to the rich and…poor the same. If a thief of P100 at SM, if a thief and a shoplifter of lotion are jailed here, those who steal billions…should also be jailed here,” Remulla said in a press briefing before inspecting the cells.

Remulla detailed standard security protocols regarding the prohibition of cellphones, tablets, and all communication devices except for a landline that can be used only upon a request to the warden.

He also noted that the facility has 80 unoccupied rooms, each capable of housing ten persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), providing ample space for the anticipated detainees.

Detainees will be provided with a bathroom, a shower, a toilet, purified drinking water, an exercise area, and private quarters for meeting legal counsel.

Remulla added that all jail guards assigned to watch over those detained for the flood control cases will be required to wear body cameras throughout their duty hours.

The move aims to ensure strict monitoring and prevent any form of collusion or improper contact between guards and detainees.

The DILG chief estimated the first round of indictments could be issued within the next three weeks but declined to identify who will face charges and clarified that he had “no personal knowledge of what the Ombudsman is doing”.

“Based on the Senate hearings… the names were already revealed there. [T]he names that came out of the Senate hearings, the congressional hearings, I think, they will be the first ones to be indicted,” he said.

The list of suspects is expected to follow the names revealed during recent legislative hearings, linking contractors, government officials, and lawmakers to the ghost and substandard flood control projects that prompted the investigation.

The Payatas jail in Quezon City was selected primarily for logistics, as it is the closest BJMP facility to the Sandiganbayan, the special anti-graft court that will hear the cases.

“The court has the jurisdiction kung saan pwede ikulong ang mga accused. Hindi…kami ang magsasabi kung saan sila ilalagay. Pero ayon sa batas, kung sa Sandiganbayan ang venue ay ito na ang pinakamalapit na (BJMP) facility,” Remulla added.

The flood control controversy dates back to government infrastructure projects aimed at mitigating flooding nationwide, which later drew scrutiny over alleged ghost contracts and overpriced construction.

The Congress and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure conduct individual probes to uncover alleged scheming between public officials and private firms in the implementation of the projects.