BJMP: No special treatment for jailed veteran broadcaster Jay Sonza
By Chito Chavez
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) assured the public on Wednesday, Aug. 16, that the bureau has not accorded jailed veteran broadcaster Jay Sonza any form of special treatment.
In an interview, BJMP spokesperson Chief Inspector Jayrex Bustinera said Sonza is being treated like a regular inmate since his arrival at the Quezon City Jail Ligtas Covid-19 Center (QCJ-LCC) on Aug. 3.
“Like any ordinary inmate, he (Sonza) underwent the same 14-day quarantine period. So there is no special treatment),’’ Bustinera explained.
From the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bustinera noted that Sonza was transferred to the BJMP on Aug. 3, 2023 based on the commitment order from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
When pressed why Sonza was received only by the BJMP on Aug. 3 despite being arrested on July 18, 2023, Bustinera replied that the bureau is only following what was stated in the commitment order.
Bustinera said that Sonza is facing alleged estafa and syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment charges.
Reports disclosed that Sonza was about to leave the country for Hong Kong on July 18 when he was stopped by Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) personnel at the airport and was turned over to the NBI Airport Investigation Division for the serving of the arrest warrant.