Former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez is now behind bars after the Sandiganbayan ordered his transfer to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, marking a dramatic turn in the widening government flood-control corruption scandal.
Romualdez was transferred to the jail after spending days under arrest while confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City. The Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered that he be committed to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as a detention prisoner.
Inquirer reported that Romualdez arrived at the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas shortly before midnight Tuesday, making him one of the most prominent political figures to be detained in connection with the scandal.
From hospital arrest to jail detention
The development follows a turbulent week for Romualdez.
Authorities served him an arrest warrant on September 7 while he was confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center. The warrant was issued after the Ombudsman filed a plunder case accusing Romualdez, former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and two other individuals of allegedly receiving at least ₱7.44 billion in commissions, kickbacks and other financial benefits linked to government projects between 2022 and 2025.
The alleged transactions involved contractors and entities with interests in flood-control, infrastructure and other projects funded through the national government’s budgets.
Prosecutors allege that the money was received on at least 15 occasions and was allegedly concealed or laundered through shell or dummy corporations and other conduits.
Romualdez has denied wrongdoing.
His lawyer, Ade Fajardo, has said the former Speaker respects the judicial process and will face the allegations in court, while insisting that his client is entitled to due process and a fair hearing.
His health became part of the legal battle
Romualdez’s detention initially unfolded inside a hospital.
He was confined at Cardinal Santos after reportedly suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack. His lawyers subsequently asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to remain hospitalized.
His medical condition became a major point of contention during court proceedings.
Doctors from Cardinal Santos testified regarding his condition, with one physician warning that transferring him could potentially compromise the critical period for treatment in the event of a cardiac emergency. Prosecutors, however, sought an independent assessment and opposed continued detention at the private hospital.
The court ultimately ordered his transfer to a BJMP facility.
Why the case is bigger than Romualdez
The case is part of a much broader investigation into alleged corruption involving government flood-control and infrastructure projects.
The controversy has already triggered investigations into alleged irregularities in the allocation and implementation of billions of pesos worth of public works.
Inquirer previously reported that Romualdez and Co were accused of allegedly facilitating budget insertions and receiving kickbacks from infrastructure projects. Romualdez has repeatedly denied involvement in wrongdoing and has argued that being House Speaker did not give him control over every stage of the congressional budget process.
The Ombudsman has also indicated that the legal action against Romualdez may not end with the current plunder complaint.
According to Inquirer, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said additional cases could follow, including other plunder and money-laundering cases.
That possibility could make Romualdez’s detention only the beginning of a much larger legal and political reckoning.
Marcos rejects claims of political drama
The arrest has also intensified political debate, particularly because Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos has rejected suggestions that the arrest is merely political drama and has maintained that the government must allow the legal process to take its course.
The administration has repeatedly framed the corruption investigation as part of its effort to pursue those responsible for alleged irregularities involving public funds.
The political implications, however, remain significant.
Romualdez was one of the most powerful figures in the House of Representatives before stepping down as Speaker in September 2025 amid mounting controversy surrounding the flood-control allegations.
What happens next?
With Romualdez now physically inside a regular detention facility, attention shifts to the next stages of the criminal proceedings.
The Sandiganbayan must determine how the case will proceed, while prosecutors will have to substantiate the allegations with evidence in court.
And that distinction is crucial: Romualdez’s arrest and detention do not mean he has been found guilty.
The court’s issuance of an arrest warrant means it found probable cause to believe that an offense may have been committed and that the accused should face the proceedings. It does not constitute a final determination of guilt.
For now, the former House Speaker sits in detention as one of the central figures in a corruption scandal that has shaken the Philippine government.
But the bigger question remains unanswered:
How far will the investigation go—and who else could eventually be pulled into the flood-control scandal?
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