Senators Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla and Jose Estrada. INQUIRER and AFP FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines—Despite the violations of the visiting rules for Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will soon enforce a new policy allowing the two detained legislators to get visits for six days in a week.
Upon the orders of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the PNP Custodial Center will adopt the visitation policy of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which is every day except Monday.
The Camp Crame-based detention facility housing Estrada and Revilla allows visitors only on Thursdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
On Saturday, relatives and visitors of the two jailbirds apparently violated the visiting hours, extending beyond 3 p.m. Some were able to stay until around 2 a.m., Sunday.
Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, Philippine National Police Public Information Office (PNP PIO) chief, said the new directive might be enforced starting Tuesday.
But Sindac was quick to clarify that the policy will also apply to other PNP Custodial Center detainees.
Stressing that no special treatment is being given to the two senators, he said Roxas came up with the changes to straighten out the “glaring disparity between a regular detention facility of BJMP with the PNP Custodial Center.”
“‘Yung mga detainees sa BJMP masaya, sa Custodial (Center) hindi. Isn’t their privileges unfair?” he said.
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