By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday confirmed that the government is ready to detain individuals who may be arrested in connection with the alleged multibillion-peso anomalies in flood control projects, underscoring its full support for the ongoing corruption probe.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said authorities have prepared detention facilities in anticipation of possible arrests once the investigation concludes.
“Kung ganiyan sa tingin niya, nai-estimate niya, ready naman po ang gobyerno kung sila ay dapat makulong,” Castro said when asked to comment on Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s earlier statement that the New Quezon City Jail can accommodate at least 200 suspects.
However, Castro expressed doubt about the number of individuals possibly facing detention.
“Dalawandaan lang talaga? Tingnan po natin kasi hindi pa naman po tapos iyong imbestigasyon,” she added, noting that some of the charges to be filed could be bailable.
Remulla, in a separate briefing, said the New Quezon City Jail has been identified as the most practical holding site for suspects since it is located near the Sandiganbayan, where graft and corruption cases are tried.
“While the courts will ultimately decide where the accused will be detained, the New QC Jail is ideal because of its proximity to the Sandiganbayan,” he said, adding that the facility can accommodate up to 800 detainees, while nearby jails have limited capacity.
The readiness of detention sites marks another step in the administration’s intensified campaign to hold accountable those allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects — a corruption scandal now under investigation by both the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other state agencies./PN
