Romualdez arrested in hospital for plunder

Former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez is served the warrant for his arrest by the CIDG at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City on Monday night, Sept. 7. —Photo by Jason Sigales MANILA, Philippines — Former Speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez was arrested on Monday for plunder, hours after he and former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co were charged before the Sandiganbayan over allegations they received more than P7 billion in kickbacks from government projects between 2022 and 2025. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters that Romualdez was arrested at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City where he is currently confined. “According to the doctors, he suffered from a cardiovascular event. His blood pressure was unstable and he was having an anxiety attack,” Remulla said. Article continues after this advertisement The lawmaker’s lawyers have asked the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division, which will handle the plunder case against him, Co and their two other coaccused, to let him remain at the hospital after his arrest. In a motion seeking his continued hospital confinement, Romualdez’s lawyers cited his “documented cardiac history,” diabetes and primary hypothyroidism, among other ailments. READ: Martin Romualdez charged with plunder “Accused seeks no exemption from arrest, custody, booking, security restrictions, court appearances or eventual transfer to the detention facility designated by the [court]. The requested accommodation rests exclusively on documented necessity, remains subject to continuous custody and judicial supervision and may be independently verified by a court-designated or government physicians,” they said. The antigraft court, which also issued a hold departure order for the accused, earlier said the issuance of the arrest warrant signified that after personally evaluating the records, it found “probable cause to believe that [they] committed the offense charged.” Article continues after this advertisement READ: Romualdez lawyer: He respects the court, will face allegations Based on the charge sheet filed by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier in the day before the Sandiganbayan, Romualdez and Co were accused of “repeatedly receiving, directly or indirectly, on at least fifteen (15) occasions, commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks, ‘commitments’ and/or other pecuniary benefits” worth at least P7.44 billion. Article continues after this advertisement The amount allegedly came from contractors, persons and entities with interests in flood control, infrastructure and/or other government projects that were funded under the General Appropriations Acts for fiscal years 2022 to 2025. The P7.44 billion, according to the case information, was “specifically traced and laundered [by] setting up and/or using shell or dummy corporations and conduits.” Respecting legal process Aside from Romualdez and Co, also named in the charge sheet were a member of the former Speaker’s staff, Jocelyn Sereño, and a certain Felicito Guevarra, the president of a money changer corporation. It was not immediately clear why they were included in the case. In a statement, Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson Ade Fajardo said his client respects the courts and legal process and will face the allegations against him. “We recognize the public interest surrounding this case. But ultimately, criminal liability must be determined by the evidence presented in court, under the rules and safeguards of our justice system,” Fajardo added. “Representative Romualdez asks for no special treatment. He asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Truth, evidence, and a fair process should prevail,” the lawyer said. In Malacañang, Palace press officer Claire Castro said she has yet to receive a formal reaction from President Marcos, who is a first cousin of Romualdez. However, Malacañang respects the Ombudsman’s action as the filing of cases falls within its mandate, she added. “Whatever the evidence shows should simply be presented before the court,” Castro said, noting that Romualdez and his other coaccused may also present their own evidence to defend themselves. In his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 27, President Marcos acknowledged that his cousin could be arrested and detained as part of his administration’s sweeping campaign against corruption. “Painful as it may be for us, we have to do what is right,” Marcos said. “I am not the President of my family. I am not the President of my friends. I am the President of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos.” The President earlier defended what critics had decried as a snail-paced government investigation into the multibillion-peso flood control controversy which he exposed in his 2025 Sona. Malacañang urged the public not to be impatient, saying that Mr. Marcos was bent on keeping his promise of catching the “big fishes” in the corruption scandal. ‘Not easy’ Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla likewise addressed the issue in a press briefing shortly after the filing of the case, saying they did not want to submit “a case that is still raw.” “We want the evidence to be there already. That’s what we did here, the process was not easy,” he told reporters. Remulla said that more cases would be eventually filed against Romualdez. “It’s a series of cases, not just this, there are many more cases to be filed besides plunder. There are other plunder cases and money laundering cases,” he added. Remulla also clarified that prosecutors have yet to use the evidence provided by former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was discharged last week from his plunder and graft cases after he became a state witness. Romualdez was earlier accused of facilitating budget insertions during his term as Speaker under the 19th and 20th Congress to implement allegedly anomalous infrastructure programs and for supposedly receiving kickbacks from these projects. However, he and his legal team have insisted that he was not involved in any wrongdoing, maintaining repeatedly that despite being the House’s top leader, he did not have control over every step of the budget-making process in Congress. Romualdez eventually stepped down as Speaker in September last year after he and other lawmakers were named by contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya as alleged recipients of kickbacks from government infrastructure projects. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. According to Romualdez, he wanted to stop the chamber’s “bleeding credibility” following allegations linking him and other lawmakers to questionable public works projects. —WITH REPORTS FROM DEXTER CABALZA, AND INQUIRER RESEARCH