Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has turned down calls for him to resign following the arrest and filing of drug charges against his eldest son, Juanito.
In a press conference, Remulla said he is leaving it up to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to decide whether he should stay or leave his post due to his son’s case.
“It will not happen. I will not comment anymore on other issues there but It will not happen. That is not my call. It’s the President’s call,” Remulla said, in his first media briefing since his son was arrested Monday last week.
“If I feel later on that I am not anymore effective in this position then I will talk to the President about whatever has to be done in the future,” he added.
Remulla admitted that he has yet to talk with his 38-year-old son since he confirmed the latter’s arrest last October 13.
Juanito was arrested last week while Remulla was in Geneva, Switzerland leading the Philippines’ delegation to the 51stUnited Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Enhance Interactive Dialogue and Bilateral Meetings and to the State’s Constructive Dialogue/Revalida with the Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested Remulla’s eldest son while claiming a parcel allegedly containing P1.3 million worth of “kush” or high-grade marijuana.
Juanito was subsequently charged with illegal possession of drugs before the Regional Trial Court of Las Piñas City.
When asked to comment on the calls for him to resign out of delicadeza, Remulla answered: No comment. I know myself. I know it’s not only me on trial here. It’s my son on trial. It’s the country which is in a trial in some ways.”
Remulla meanwhile proposed the construction of regional prison facilities in the next three to four years “to humanize the prison system.”
Remulla stressed that regionalized prisons would enable families to visit persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) more often.
“The problem with the prison system now is that it is a mega prison and it does not bode well for persons who should be treated individually as is the practice now in prison reform,” he said.
“We have a big problem in the New Bilibid Prison (in Muntinlupa City), that is why we have to reform our prison system and not only the transfer of maximum security, but also the regionalization of prisons is now on the table,” he added.
In the next three to four years, Remulla expressed hopes for the building of a few regional prisons. “We will see how it launches in the next 20 months as we are just finalizing the design and the financial model to be used,” he said.
Remulla admitted that the DOJ has been in discussion with the Department of Public Works and Highways on the design of the regional prisons.
“Regionalization solves many problems. You also humanize the prison system, since the problem is it has become a mega prison. There is a need to humanize the prisons, to treat inmates as a person and not just a number,” he said.
Earlier, Remulla had said the prison facilities managed by the Bureau of Corrections are congested by 330 percent. He cited that the NBP houses more than 28,900 PDLs. When NBP was constructed, its capacity was only for 6,000 inmates, he added.
