DILG chief: No air con for flood mess suspects
Highly paid in government, a lowly inmate in a crowded jail.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday gave assurances that there would be no special treatment for government personnel who will be arrested and detained for alleged involvement in “ghost” flood control projects.
Remulla, who inspected the overcrowded Pasay City Jail ahead of the possible arrests, said those with Salary Grade 26 and below will be held in regular cells without air conditioning, alongside ordinary inmates.
“I gave strict instructions that no one is allowed to place an inmate in the warden’s office, so they will be in the common cells,” he said in a statement, noting that the warden’s office is the only air-conditioned area in the facility.
“There is no longer a La Cathedral, no place for rich people to live inside the prison,” Remulla said, referring to alleged VIP treatment in previous high-profile detentions. “The law is the law, and we will follow it no matter how painful it gets for anyone.”
The minimum pay for Salary Grade 26 employees, usually occupying supervisory ranks, is P126,252 but can reach P140,000 or higher.
Overcapacity
Many of those allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects are district engineers, who are usually at Salary Grade 25 and receive a minimum of P111,727, based on data from the Department of Budget and Management.
The Pasay City Jail, which has a capacity of 103 but houses 964 inmates, will serve as the primary detention site for lower-ranking government employees once the Ombudsman and the courts issue arrest warrants.
Remulla said he has directed the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to install CCTV systems to prevent special privileges and ensure transparency.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government chief also clarified that the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame will not be used as detention area for those facing charges in the flood control corruption cases.
On Monday, Remulla inspected the newly built Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory, which is being considered to house higher-ranking officials, or those with Salary Grade 27 and above, who will be facing charges.
