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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
November 7, 2026 | 12:00am
Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the president of the Philippines, as seen from the Pasig River.
Gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang wants a thorough investigation on alleged special treatment for President Marcos’ cousin and former speaker Martin Romualdez after a jail warden admitted that the lawmaker has a personal staff staying with him inside the New Quezon City Jail around the clock.
“Right now, we cannot provide a concrete answer, as we do not know the facts – specifically, whether or not he has a special aide. There should be an explanation why there was such arrangement and why on a 24/7 basis. If it turns out to be a form of special treatment, it should not become an accepted practice or norm that should be tolerated,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said Friday at a press briefing.
“However, it would be better to conduct a deeper investigation into why former speaker Martin Romualdez requires a 24/7 aide,” she added.
In her testimony before the Sandiganbayan on Thursday, Supt. Maria Lourdes Pacion told the anti-graft court’s Third Division that she allowed the arrangement because, based on her assessment, “his mental state is not yet that stable.”
“We allow that for human consideration, if the PDL (person deprived of liberty) is not in good condition, because we can’t attend to all their personal needs. We cannot hire any more personnel to assign for the personal needs of Cong. Romualdez,” Pacion said.
She explained that this is not a rare arrangement within detention facilities as it is the prerogative of the jail warden to assess the needs of the PDLs.
Ombudsman warns jail officials
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he would conduct surprise inspections at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas to ensure that no one is getting special treatment there.
“Once in a while, at any given hour, whether it be morning or midnight, just to check on everything and make sure that all the rules are being followed in Payatas,” he said.
He said his office will also validate information that Romualdez has an assistant staying with him in his cell, stressing that such arrangement is prohibited.
“We will dismiss them from the service. I will not hesitate. If we find something, we will dismiss them from the service,” the ombudsman said, referring to jail officials who might have allowed such arrangement.
Remulla pointed out that having a personal staff inside the jail could be a “security risk” to the detention facility. — Daphne Galvez
