Former House Speaker Romualdez Ordered Transferred from Hospital to Jail

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan 3rd Division on Monday, September 14, ordered the transfer of custody of former House speaker Martin Romualdez from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) where he is confined, to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas. The lawmaker will be detained there as he faces his plunder case due to alleged P7.44 billion in kickbacks. Romualdez was ordered transferred after the PGH doctors found that he is in stable condition and needs no confinement. Authorities said the Leyte lawmaker will be transferred on Monday too, after his discharge from PGH. “In view of the findings… The court hereby orders the transfer of custody of the accused to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory,” said the order read by 3rd Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda. In a statement, Romualdez said he accepts the Sandiganbayan’s decision. “I thank my physicians at Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the doctors of the Philippine General Hospital for their care and professional judgment. I will continue to follow the medical advice of my doctors,” he said. “I have always said that I will face the charges against me and answer them before the proper court. That has not changed,” he added. During the Monday hearing, PGH Medical Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said they forwarded to the court on Sunday the result of their examination. The former speaker was transferred from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to PGH on Saturday to undergo an independent medical examination. Although he said that Romualdez’s current condition no longer needs confinement for now, Legaspi said the former speaker is still suffering from illnesses like chronic coronary syndrome, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, and from anxiety and major depressive disorder. He, however, said that Romualdez’s other medical conditions are under controlled medication. Legaspi said they also conducted a stress test to check his heart condition. “The stress test [showed] that he tolerated the stress in the heart,” said the doctor. “There’s no impending risk of heart attack.” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla confirmed to Rappler that Romualdez will be transferred from PGH to Payatas within the day. The once powerful House speaker will arrive in jail at “approximately 6 pm,” he said. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Romualdez with plunder on September 7, after a months-long probe. The allegation was that Romualdez allegedly used his influence as House speaker and his ties with former House appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co to gain alleged kickbacks. The 3rd Division immediately issued a warrant against Romualdez on September 7, but the cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was already confined in Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City at the time. So, even though the Philippine National Police implemented the warrant and arrested Romualdez that day, they failed to bring him to jail. Romualdez also filed a motion with the court, asking the chamber to allow his continued hospital confinement. This triggered the hearings on September 10, 11, and 14, where the court invited Romualdez’s doctors and experts from PGH. The former speaker will join in Payatas other figures linked to the multi-billion corruption scandal, including Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Department of Public Works and Highways assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez. Why the delay? According to interior chief Remulla and Romualdez’s doctors, the former speaker went to the hospital at around 4 pm on September 7. This was hours after the filing of the plunder charge against him, but at least more than an hour before the issuance of the warrant. To determine whether Romualdez’s condition indeed required medical care, the Sandiganbayan subpoenaed his doctors for the hearings. His admitting physician, Dr. Kurt Allen Sibayan, said on September 10 that the former speaker’s condition was not an “emergency case” when he was admitted to the hospital. He added that Romualdez was immediately admitted and did not go to the emergency room. Sibayan also claimed that he did not see nor examine Romualdez because the attending physicians, including Romualdez’s hematologist Dr. Rosalio Torres, barred him from entering the room. He was told resident physicians could not enter the room. Torres later explained that he ordered Romualdez’s admission because the lawmaker has a history of heart problems and complained of chest pains that day. After the Sandiganbayan’s order to transfer Romualdez from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to PGH on September 11, his lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said he was hoping that nothing bad would happen to his client. “Siguro, hindi po alam ng lawyer na ‘yon kung ano nang talagang kakayahan ng mga ospital ng gobyerno. Hindi lang po PGH, most government hospitals, hindi ganun dapat [ang] impression ng mga tao,” Legaspi told reporters. (Maybe the lawyer doesn’t know the current capabilities of our government hospitals. Not just PGH, most government officials, the people’s impression should not be like that.) – Rappler.com