Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez Undergoes Booking Procedures at Quezon City Jail Amid Plunder Charges

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez underwent booking procedures at the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory on Monday night after being transferred from a medical facility. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) released his mugshots following the transfer. Romualdez was moved to the jail after doctors from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) declared him fit for discharge. His camp had initially petitioned to keep him at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, citing various health conditions including hypertension, depression, and anxiety. However, the Sandiganbayan Third Division had ordered PGH doctors to assess his condition and provide an independent report. On Monday, PGH Director Dr. Gerardo D. Legaspi informed the anti-graft court that Romualdez was clinically stable and that while monitoring was needed, confinement was not necessary as long as medical care is guaranteed. The former House Speaker is facing plunder charges in connection with alleged kickbacks amounting to P7.2 billion from government infrastructure projects. His co-accused, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp. president Felicito Guevarra, and Romualdez’s personal assistant Joselin Sereño, remain at large. This development underscores the ongoing scrutiny of public officials in the Philippines and the legal processes involved in corruption allegations. The transfer of a high-profile figure to jail highlights the application of the law regardless of position.