Presidential Communications Office Usec. Claire Castro during a press briefing in Malacañang Palace in Manila on July 18, 2025. Revoli Cortez, PPA pool/File
MANILA—Malacañang maintained Tuesday that there should be no special treatment and that the law must be equally applied to all accused in the wake of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez's transfer to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas.
Romualdez was moved to the QC jail on Monday night, hours after the Sandiganbayan ordered his transfer. Doctors of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital had found the former house speaker "clinically stable."
READ: Martin Romualdez transferred to QC jail in Payatas
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said she has yet to talk with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over his cousin's imprisonment.
"Kahit po nasa kulungan sinuman, in general po, ito ating isasagot: Hangga't wala pa po kasing naibibigay na paghuhusga with finality ang isang korte, ang presumption pa rin po niyan ay inosente sila. Nagkataon lang po na ang mga kasong kinakaharap nila ay no bail, no bail recommended ang ibinibigay at sinasabi at pinag-uutos ng korte," she said in a press briefing Tuesday, September 15.
"Kung ano po ang sinasapit ngayon ng mga diumanong sangkot, iyan naman po ay walang dapat sinisino – mayaman, mahirap, ordinaryong tao, may kapangyarihan. Kung nakagawa man ng mali sa taumbayan, kailangan lang din pong pantay-pantay kung ano po ang naranasan ng mga akusado," Castro added.
"So wala pong dapat na special treatment. Hindi po kinakailangang mag-rally kung saan-saan para hindi mapanagot ang sinuman, dapat po pantay-pantay."
Castro maintained that the Marcos administration is all for following the law and proper process of all accused regardless of their status.
"Hindi kailangang umabuso, hindi naman kailangang kulang ang pagtrato sa maaaring nasasangkot. So, dapat lang po ay kung ano iyong naaayon sa batas at proseso," she said.
Asked if Malacañang would encourage the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to release more photos of Romualdez for transparency, Castro said it is up to the Bureau's discretion.
"Nasa pamumuno na po nila iyan. Kung ano po ang nakikita nilang nararapat, as long na ang mga akusado ay nasa kustodiya po nila, nasa kanilang kamay na po ang pagpapasiya niyan," she stated.
CANCELLED PGH VISIT
Marcos was scheduled to have a visit to the Philippine General Hospital on Monday, September 14 but was cancelled Sunday night.
Pressed why, Castro cited conflict in schedule with Marcos Jr. coming home from his participation in the recently concluded 18th BRICS Summit in India early Monday morning.
"Kagagaling lang po kasi kagabi, madaling araw po dumating ang Pangulo. Alam ninyo naman po na halos mag-aalas singko na po dumating ang Pangulo. Hindi po naipagbigay—nabigay pabatid or nabigyan tayo ng kaalaman tungkol sa anong oras supposed to be kung pupunta man siya sa PGH, kasi kagagaling lang po niya sa India, kakatapos lang po ng kanyang trabaho at halos mag-aalas singko na po ng madaling araw dumating ang Pangulo," she said.
The Palace official also denied that it had something to do with Romualdez who was then confined in the facility for an independent medical examination as ordered by the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
"Wala. Walang napag-usapan patungkol diyan na iyon ang magiging dahilan. Nagkataon lang po siguro na kararating lang ng Pangulo, ng halos mag-aalas singko na po ng madaling araw, wala pa pong tulog iyon halos," she said.
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