BJMP Ready for Marcoleta Transfer, Stresses 'No VIP Treatment'

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) stated that its New Quezon City Jail in Payatas is ready and medically equipped to receive Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who is currently being treated for pneumonia at the PNP General Hospital. BJMP Spokesperson J/Supt. Jayrex Joseph Bustinera said that if there is a court order, they will accept him. "First of all, as long as there is a court order and he is officially transferred to our custody, we will receive him," Bustinera said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview on Sunday. "Second, this is precisely the BJMP's mandate, and we have prepared for these types of situations. It is not just in Payatas; our other jail facilities also handle similar demographics and possess the same capabilities," Bustinera added. According to Bustinera, the Quezon City Jail layout features a centrally located, fully staffed infirmary with in-house doctors and nurses, and diagnostic laboratories equipped to manage communicable diseases. Marcoleta was arrested for a P75-million plunder case over his undeclared campaign donations. He was arrested at the Sandiganbayan last July 6. Two days after his arrest, the PNPGH diagnosed Marcoleta with mild pneumonia and degenerative disc disease. Payatas jail setup Bustinera described the Quezon City jail cells as measuring 50 square meters, with two electric fans, five double-deck beds, and two bathrooms. Designed to house up to 10 inmates, each cell provides an average living space of 4.7 square meters per individual. The New Quezon City Jail in Payatas has an ideal capacity of 4,000 and currently houses around 3,300 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), according to Bustinera. According to Bustinera, high-profile PDLs are detained with the general population, but are classified according to their case. "For instance, those who have not finished their education are detained near each other for their Alternative Learning System (ALS) program, and they share a single wing or floor," Bustinera said. "For example, individuals linked to the flood control cases are separated and located in one wing... Currently, our current and former senators are also housed in a single wing, along with the rest of the general population," he added. The cells of detained current and former senators are near the infirmary and the lawyers' lounge, Bustinera said. The BJMP assured the public that even during the rainy season, PDLs would still have access to indoor activities, with each cell block having access to an indoor activity area and a library, and inmates being allowed scheduled visitors. No VIP treatment Despite housing high-profile PDLs, the BJMP maintained that they will receive no preferential treatment and will be handled exactly like the rest of the jail population. "First and foremost, it is not just a policy but a direct directive from our secretary, Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to ensure equal treatment for all PDLs, with absolutely no VIP treatment," Bustinera said. "Secondly, we can see that this is really the BJMP's design; that is not VIP treatment, but rather it is truly for the humane management inside the jail," he added. Bustinera clarified that the New Quezon City Jail's facilities had been designed many years before, addressing fake news claiming that it was built specifically for high-profile inmates. —RF, GMA News