Romualdez remains at hospital as Sandiganbayan hears confinement plea

MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez will remain at Cardinal Santos Medical Center for now as the Sandiganbayan continues to hear his request for hospital confinement. The Sandiganbayan Third Division has maintained the status quo, as it has yet to finish hearing Romualdez’s motion for continued hospital confinement. The hearing is set to resume on Friday, when Romualdez’s doctors are expected to return to explain his medical condition. Cardinal Santos team manager Dr. Rosalio Torres told the court Thursday that Romualdez is at high risk of a possible heart attack. He said transferring Romualdez could compromise the “golden hour,” or the critical period after symptoms appear when medical intervention is needed to prevent serious heart damage or death. The prosecution has opposed Romualdez’s request to remain at Cardinal Santos and asked the court to allow independent government doctors to assess his condition. It also asked that Romualdez be detained at a facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). The Sandiganbayan earlier ordered the transfer of Romualdez’s custody from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to the BJMP as he faces a P7.44-billion plunder charge over alleged kickbacks from government infrastructure projects. The BJMP took custody of Romualdez at around 4:15 p.m. Thursday. His transfer to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas, however, has not yet been implemented while his hospital-confinement motion remains unresolved. The BJMP said Romualdez would receive the same treatment and privileges as other persons deprived of liberty, with no VIP or special treatment. The bureau has also prepared a detention cell at the Quezon City jail that can accommodate 10 people. Romualdez was arrested on September 7 while confined at Cardinal Santos. The PNP said he remains medically unfit to travel based on a certification from the hospital. During Thursday’s hearing, Cardinal Santos admitting physician Dr. Kurt Allen Sibayan said Romualdez’s admission was unusual because he was brought directly to his hospital room instead of the emergency room despite complaining of chest pain. Sibayan also said he was not allowed to enter Romualdez’s room to examine him, which he said was not usual hospital practice. Romualdez is accused of repeatedly receiving kickbacks and other pecuniary benefits from former lawmaker Zaldy Co on at least 15 occasions between 2022 and 2025, according to state prosecutors. His arraignment and pretrial are scheduled for September 14. — with a report from Daphne Galvez