Ex-AFP chief says he was barred from visiting Marcelino at PNP facility

A former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was allegedly stopped from entering the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center in Camp Crame on Good Friday.

Retired Gen. Dionisio Santiago claimed that he was at the custodial center to visit his friend, detained Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino.

Marcelino was a spokesperson for the Philippine Marines when Santiago was the AFP chief. Santiago was also a former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief while Marcelino was also a former director of the special enforcement services of the agency.

Marcelino is facing a drug complaint, together with a Chinese national, following his arrest at a clandestine “shabu” laboratory in Manila.

In a Facebook post, Santiago said he asked the guard on duty if he could visit Marcelino in his detention cell.

“They answered that they would have to ask their commander. So I waited for them to get back to me, assuming that they were just following protocol. One of them returned and said that I am not authorized to visit according to their policy,” he said.

He then asked the personnel if they had a written copy of the policy.

“However, they said that said policy was not documented since they were just a small unit. I let it go because I understand there are really policies of the sort,” he said, adding that he understood the said practice, being a former director of the  Bureau of Corrections.

He then asked if he could talk to their commander but found that the commander was not around.

“The same person who said he was going to ask the commander regarding my request said that the commander was not around. Imagine my irritation when I heard this,” he said.

He said he understood the policy and that no special treatment should be made but could not understand “the need for deception.”

“Bakit nila sasabihin sa akin na ipagpapaalam nila sa commander ‘yun pala eh wala naman pala siya? Kung sakali man na wala ang commander ay pwede naman kahit ipakausap sa telepono if that is how they’ve contacted him,” he said.

“Kung ganito ang trato sa mga bumubisita sa mga detainee, I can only imagine kung paano nila tinatrato ang mga taong nakaditena,” he added.

He said that when he was still at the National Bilibid Prison as a director, he found “time to talk to people and explain the rights and responsibilities of both detainees and visitors.”

Sought for comment, the PNP said Santiago was not in the list of people authorized to visit Marcelino.

“The policy is, once a person in custody is placed in the PNPCC, he is asked for a list on who is authorized to vist,” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor told INQUIRER.net, quoting Police Supt. Gil Phillipps, director of the headquarters support service.

“If the person intending to visit is not in the list, the person makes a written request subject to approval of the chief PNP who has since delegated the power to approve to the  TCDS (chief of directoral staff),” Mayor said, still quoting Phillipps.

Mayor assured that Phillipps would “check on the circumstances surrounding other issues.”

Among the high-profile detainees held at the custodial center are Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada. RC