Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla denied reports that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez had left the Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory, describing the claims as mere gossip.
During an ambush interview at Camp Crame, Remulla said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has closed-circuit television footage showing that Romualdez never left the facility.
He invited members of the media to accompany him to the BJMP for an inspection to verify the claim.
Remulla also said Romualdez does not receive visitors outside the facility and has only a few visitors, if any. He confirmed reports that the former lawmaker had lost weight.
The BJMP earlier denied claims that Romualdez had slipped out of its custody.
In a statement, the bureau released a photograph showing Romualdez inside the facility on Nov. 4. It also said there had been no power interruption that could have disrupted CCTV operations.
The BJMP said it carefully reviewed the footage and found that the cameras were operational, with no unrecorded movements detected.
Remulla’s statement came amid circulating claims that Romualdez had left the jail facility while under detention.
