New Quezon City Jail ready for flood control corruption perpetrators —DILG

The New Quezon City Jail is ready to detain the accused in the flood control projects corruption controversy, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday.

In a press conference, Remulla said that his department is anticipating that at least 200 individuals will be indicted over flood control corruption in the next three weeks. 

The New Quezon City Jail, located in Payatas, is the detention facility closest to the Sandiganbayan and can accommodate up to 800 detainees, he added.

“The court has the jurisdiction kung saan pwede ikulong ang mga accused. Hindi po kami ang magsasabi kung saan sila ilalagay. Pero ayon sa batas, kung sa Sandiganbayan ang venue ay ito na ang pinakamalapit na [Bureau of Jail Management and Penology] facility,” he said.

(The court has the jurisdiction where the accused can be detained. We will not say where they will be detained. But according to the law, if the venue is in the Sandiganbayan, this is the nearest BJMP facility.)

“Yung magkakasya yung dalawang daan, wala na..Ito na lang po ang nakikita naming available,” he said.

(No other nearby jail facilities that can accommodate 200 detainees. This is the only one available.)

“Pero gusto ko pong isaad, hindi namin pinangungunahan ang Sandiganbayan, sila po ay may discretion kung saan po ikukulong. Ang mga indicted ay puwede silang mag-petition kung saan sila ikulong. Pero sa ngayon ito na po ang pinakamalapit at pinaka-convenient para sa Sandiganbayan,” he added.

(But I want to state, we are not pre-empting the Sandiganbayan, they have discretion on where to detain the accused. The indictees can petition for their detention facilities. But for now, this is the closest and most convenient for the Sandiganbayan.)

“Kung ang nagnanakaw ng P100 sa SM at nagsho-shoplift ng lotion ay dito kinukulong, ang nagnanakaw ng bilyon-bilyon ay sa aking palagay ay dapat dito na rin sila ilagay,” Remulla added.

(If those who steal P100 from SM and shoplift lotion can be locked up here, those who steal billions, in my opinion, should be detained here too.)

The issue of ghost and substandard flood control projects was highlighted by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in August, when he announced that 20% of the government's flood control infrastructure projects have been bagged by only 15 contractors. Since then, investigations by Congress and by the newly formed Independent Commission for Infrastructure have linked contractors, government officials, and lawmakers to the controversy.

Palace on DILG estimate

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said it's better to wait first for the completion of the investigation. If 200 is really the estimated number or people to be charged, she said, the government is ready to jail those involved in the anomalies. 

''Dalawandaan lang talaga? Tingnan po natin kasi hindi pa naman po tapos iyong imbestigasyon. Kung ganiyan sa tingin niya, nai-estimate niya, ready naman po ang gobyerno kung sila ay dapat makulong,'' Castro said. 

(Is it really just 200? Let's see because the investigation is not yet finished. If that was his estimate, the government is ready to jail them.)

''Baka naman may mga pagkakataon na iyong mga kasong maisasampa ay puwede namang matatawag na bailable, so tingnan po natin,'' she added. 

(There could be instances wherein the cases that will be filed are bailable, so let' see.) — with Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA Integrated News