Longer visiting hours on New Year’s Eve

MANILA, Philippines–Visitors of detainees at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center can spend more time with their loved ones on New Year’s Eve.

The PNP has extended the visiting hours on Dec. 31 to enable relatives to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the detainees.

Visitors can stay at the custodial center from 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Lawyer Richard Cambe, one of the accused in the P10-billion pork barrel scam who are held at the custodial center, requested longer visiting hours on behalf of all the detainees.

Earlier, Cambe’s boss, Sen. Bong Revilla along with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, asked PNP Headquarters Support Service (HSS) to extend the visiting hours on New Year’s Day.

Regular visiting hours at the custodial center are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

For all detainees

Cambe, who is Revilla’s chief of staff, Revilla and Estrada are facing plunder charges over the pork barrel scam allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

Initially, the PNP approved Revilla and Estrada’s request, but later applied the extended visiting hours to all detainees at the custodial center.

Chief Supt. Alberto Supapo, HSS chief, said the detainees made the request to Custodial Service Unit head Chief Insp. Stephen Daang on Dec. 24.

Not Enrile

“However, due to time constraints, the request for extended visiting hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was not granted,” Supapo said.

The extension of the visiting hours will not apply to Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who is detained at the PNP General Hospital also over the pork barrel scam.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said Enrile did not request longer visiting hours.

Mayor said only immediate family members would be allowed to visit the detainees.

The number of visitors depends on how many people the custodial center can accommodate, Mayor said.

Visitors will be allowed to bring food for the detainees, he said.