Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) officials on Friday conducted an inspection of the New Quezon City Jail, which may serve as a detention facility for individuals anticipated to be charged in relation to the flood control scandal.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla accompanied and toured the ICI officials led by chairman Andres Reyes Jr. and commissioner Rogelio Singson.
After the ocular inspection at the jail facility in Brgy. Payatas, Quezon City, ICI officials clarified that the commission’s task is only to investigate the anomalies.
“Our work is investigative. I know that our people, the taxpayers, are very agitated because they want someone to be imprisoned immediately. Unfortunately, that is not the role of the ICI. Ours is investigative, go to the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan,” Singson said.
“It is a long process. What we are trying to do is look at other administrative measures that are a little faster to prosecute, a little faster to identify who is responsible. We are hoping the people will understand that,” he added.
The jail facility was built to ensure its readiness for any possible indictments of individuals, including government officials, involved in the anomalous flood-control and other infrastructure projects.
The government assured that no special treatment would be afforded to those who would be jailed, regardless of status or position.
Each dorm in the facility is designed to house 10 inmates and comes equipped with one bathroom, one shower, and one toilet to ensure cleanliness and comfort.
The facility also provides purified drinking water, designated areas for exercise and sunlight exposure, and regulated visitation schedules that allow families to bring cooked food to their detained relatives.
To uphold the legal rights of inmates, the jail includes dedicated quarters for lawyer-client consultations, with ongoing construction of ten new private cubicles to ensure privacy during legal discussions.
“This will be the new standard for all BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) jails,” Remulla said, highlighting the government’s effort to modernize and humanize jail facilities nationwide.
He also clarified that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has no authority to decide where the accused will be detained.
“The court has jurisdiction over where to jail the accused. It is not up to us to determine where they will be placed. But under the law, if the Sandiganbayan is the venue, this is the nearest BJMP facility,” Remulla said.
“Everyone has a chance to be rehabilitated—that’s the core principle of penology. This is only the place where they will be detained during the hearings,” he added.
