Romualdez suffers health scare amid arrest order for corruption charges

MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez suffered a “cardiovascular event” and a purported panic attack, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday night. Romualdez was confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City around 4 p.m. on Monday, Remulla said in an interview with reporters. “According to the doctors, he’s suffered from a cardiovascular event. His blood pressure was unstable and he was having an anxiety attack,” Remulla explained. “The Philippine National Police’s doctors are here to determine his status in conference with his doctors,” he added. The Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered the Leyte 1st District representative taken into government custody. Romualdez was charged by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan on Monday for allegedly receiving P7.44 billion worth of kickbacks from flood control, infrastructure and other government projects from 2022 to 2025. “We will check every day until he is well enough to be presented to the court,” Remulla said. “We assure you, he cannot hide behind his wealth. No matter how rich he is, he cannot pay the law to allow him to stay in a place of this caliber. This isn’t a permanent situation,” he added. “His room in Payatas is just waiting if the court commits him. The fight is fair here,” he stressed, referring to the New Quezon City Jail, where other personalities allegedly involved in the infrastructure corruption scandal have been jailed. Remulla did not say when Romualdez would undergo booking procedures. This is a developing story. /mcm