Ex-House Speaker Romualdez to Remain Hospitalized Amid Plunder Case

MANILA, Philippines – Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is facing a P7.44-billion plunder case, will remain confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City “until further orders” from the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. "However, considering that the hearing on the said accused’s manifestation and urgent motion has not yet been terminated today and will continue tomorrow, September 11, 2026, his confinement at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center will remain until further orders from the court,” Sandiganbayan 3rd Division Clerk of Court Dennis Pulma told reporters on Thursday, September 10. Romualdez was arrested inside his hospital room in San Juan City, but the police could not move him to the court or jail because of his medical condition. He also filed a motion with the court to remain under hospital confinement, further delaying his detention. The 3rd Division had set a hearing on Romualdez’s motion on Thursday morning. There, the chamber declared that Romualdez will be detained in New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, the designated facility for flood control related cases. However, the court still needs to resolve the motion, so there’s no date yet as to when the accused will be transferred to Payatas. “An Order of Commitment (Pending Trial) dated September 10, 2026 was issued by the court on even date for the detention/commitment of accused Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez at the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology)-Male Dormitory, in Payatas, Quezon City,” said Pulma. “Meanwhile, the principal custody over the person of accused Romualdez is transferred and primarily placed under the responsibility of the BJMP Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory, which may seek the assistance of the PNP-CIDG (Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) regarding security concerns,” he added. During the Thursday hearing, Romualdez’s admitting physician, Dr. Kurt Allen Sibayan, revealed that the former speaker’s condition was not an “emergency case” when he was admitted to the hospital. He also said that Romualdez was immediately admitted and did not go to the emergency room. Not only that, Sibayan said 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 cannot enter the room. Torres explained that he ordered Romualdez’s admission because the lawmaker has a history of heart problems and complained of chest pains that day. The Sandiganbayan 3rd Division will resume the hearing on Friday, September 11, and will bring in more Romualdez doctors for clarifications. – Rappler.com [Inside the Newsroom] Properties, patterns keep leading back to Martin Romualdez Source: Rappler Philippines