Political prisoners’ support group Kapatid has called on the Sandiganbayan to enforce its commitment order against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and transfer him from a private hospital to a regular jail facility.
Kapatid said Romualdez’s continued stay at Cardinal Santos Medical Center only reinforces a double standard in the justice system.
The group said keeping Romualdez in a private hospital could also fuel public perception that his arrest is merely a “charade.”
Romualdez was served an arrest warrant on Sept. 7 while confined at the hospital.
He is facing non-bailable plunder charges in connection with the alleged P7.44-billion flood control scam.
Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim said Romualdez, like any other prisoner, is entitled to proper medical treatment but should not be given special treatment because of his status.
“Former Speaker Romualdez has the right to medical treatment just as every prisoner has the right to proper medical care,” Lim said.
“What is unacceptable is for one prisoner to receive an accommodation that is denied to others in similar circumstances. The same rules must apply to everyone, regardless of status or influence,” she added.
Kapatid cited the testimony of Romualdez’s admitting physician, Dr. Kurt Allen Sibayan, who said his condition upon admission was not a medical emergency.
Court records also showed that Romualdez’s vital signs were generally stable.
Lim said the continued hospital confinement raises questions about equal treatment under the law particularly when other detainees have faced difficulties obtaining basic medical care.
She cited the cases of political prisoners Marc Mendiola, Cristina Pasion and elderly detainee Vicente Ladlad, who, according to Kapatid, have encountered difficulties in accessing doctors, diagnostic tests or comprehensive hospital evaluation.
“Political prisoners should not be held to a harsher standard than other detainees, and neither should any poor or ordinary prisoner,” Lim said.
Kapatid also invoked the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law and cited the Supreme Court ruling in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan, which it said requires genuine medical necessity to justify alternative detention arrangements.
“Justice should not depend on who you are,” Lim said.
“We call on the Sandiganbayan to uphold equal protection, enforce the commitment order, and ensure that detention and medical care standards are applied fairly and transparently to all persons deprived of liberty,” she added.#