The Sandiganbayan Third Division has issued a commitment order placing former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), as the court weighs his request to remain confined at a private hospital.
The development came Thursday, September 10, as the anti-graft court tackled Romualdez’s motion seeking continued hospital confinement at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where he has remained since authorities served his arrest warrant on September 7.
Two developments are happening at once
The court’s commitment order directs that Romualdez be detained at the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas, making the BJMP the designated detention authority.
However, the commitment order does not necessarily mean Romualdez is immediately being physically removed from the hospital.
Reports indicate that he remains at Cardinal Santos while the court hears the issue of his medical confinement. Philstar reported that the court ordered his transfer to BJMP custody, with his arraignment and pre-trial set for September 14 at 8:30 a.m.
This distinction is important because Romualdez’s camp had submitted a medical certification saying he was “medically unfit to travel.” The PNP confirmed that the certification was the reason he would not physically attend Thursday’s hearing.
Why was Romualdez arrested?
Romualdez is facing a ₱7.4-billion plunder case stemming from allegations surrounding irregularities in government flood-control and infrastructure projects.
The Office of the Ombudsman alleges that Romualdez and other personalities were involved in a massive kickback scheme. Romualdez has denied wrongdoing, and the allegations remain matters for judicial determination.
The case is part of a much broader government investigation into alleged corruption in flood-control projects.
The Associated Press reported that the Ombudsman has placed the alleged amount involved in Romualdez’s case at approximately ₱7.4 billion, amid a wider investigation into thousands of flood-control projects worth hundreds of billions of pesos.
His health condition has become a central issue
Romualdez was arrested while confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center after reportedly experiencing health problems.
The Philippine News Agency reported that he had been confined following a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack. Authorities initially sought to have him transferred to the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp Crame, arguing that government doctors could provide the necessary medical care while he remained under formal custody.
His camp, meanwhile, has asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to continue receiving treatment at Cardinal Santos.
Philstar reported that his camp cited several medical conditions, including heart-related illnesses, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and primary hypothyroidism.
The court has also called on his doctors to provide information about his condition as it evaluates whether continued private-hospital confinement is warranted.
BJMP custody does not erase the medical issue
The latest development creates an unusual situation: Romualdez has been ordered committed to a BJMP detention facility, while his medical condition remains an active issue before the court.
GMA News reported that prosecutors opposed his request for continued hospital detention, arguing that his ailments could be treated by government doctors while he remains in detention.
Other reports indicate that BJMP personnel are expected to assume custody responsibilities even while the medical situation is being resolved.
That means the immediate question is no longer simply where Romualdez will be detained, but whether his health condition will allow authorities to move him from the hospital to the designated detention facility.
Arraignment is next
The Sandiganbayan has scheduled Romualdez’s arraignment and pre-trial for September 14.
For now, the former House Speaker remains an accused, not a convicted person. The plunder allegations must still be established in court, and Romualdez is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence.
But with the court now formally placing his detention under the BJMP, the case has entered a significantly more consequential phase.
The bigger question now: will Romualdez eventually leave the private hospital for the Quezon City Jail—or will his medical condition keep the next chapter of the case inside a hospital room?
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