MANILA, Philippines — The detention of former House Speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez is entering a critical phase as authorities prepare for his possible transfer from a private hospital to government custody, while the Sandiganbayan decides whether he may remain hospitalized.
Romualdez was arrested on September 7 after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant in connection with a P7.4-billion plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Police served the warrant at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where Romualdez had been confined after reportedly experiencing cardiovascular problems, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack.
The arrest warrant has already been returned to the Sandiganbayan, together with Romualdez’s medical certificate, mugshot, booking documents and other records. The PNP said he is under police custody while he remains at the hospital.
PNP hospital becomes the next possible destination
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government intends to ask the Sandiganbayan to authorize Romualdez’s transfer to the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The move would allow Romualdez to continue receiving medical care while remaining under government custody rather than staying indefinitely at a private medical facility. PNP doctors have also been checking his condition while police maintain security around Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
Remulla has described Romualdez as a potential flight risk, citing his access to substantial resources, and said authorities have restricted his movements while he remains hospitalized. ABS-CBN likewise reported that security measures were imposed around the hospital following his arrest.
Jail cell already being prepared
The government is also preparing for the possibility that Romualdez will eventually be transferred to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas once doctors determine that he is medically fit.
Officials have confirmed that a detention facility has been prepared for him. The facility has vacant capacity and in-house medical services, according to reports.
But Romualdez will not automatically be sent to jail simply because a cell is ready.
That decision ultimately rests with the Sandiganbayan.
Court to decide whether he can remain in the hospital
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has scheduled a hearing for September 10 at 8:30 a.m. to consider Romualdez’s request for continued hospital confinement.
The court has ordered several of his attending physicians to appear and provide information regarding his medical condition. Romualdez has also been directed to attend the hearing if his health permits.
The court specifically emphasized that custody of Romualdez belongs to the Sandiganbayan and that it—not the police or the hospital—will determine whether his medical condition justifies continued confinement in a hospital or allows him to be transferred to a detention facility.
That makes Thursday’s hearing potentially decisive.
Romualdez cites multiple medical conditions
In his motion seeking continued hospital confinement, Romualdez’s camp cited several medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, unstable angina, coronary artery disease, a history of a percutaneous coronary intervention, cerebrovascular ischemic disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hypothyroidism.
His lawyers argue that the medical care he currently receives cannot safely be replicated in a regular detention facility. The court has ordered the submission of relevant medical examination results so it can independently assess the situation.
What is the P7.4-billion case about?
The hospital dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of one of the Philippines’ biggest corruption investigations involving government flood-control projects.
The Ombudsman charged Romualdez, former Ako Bicol party-list lawmaker Zaldy Co, Romualdez’s former personal assistant Joselyn Tragua Serenio, and businessman Felicito Cristobal Guevarra with plunder.
Prosecutors allege that the respondents benefited from a kickback scheme involving government projects between 2022 and 2025. The amount cited in the case is P7.4 billion.
The allegations are part of a much broader investigation into billions of pesos worth of flood-control projects. The Associated Press reported that nearly 10,000 projects valued at more than P545 billion have come under scrutiny, with some allegedly being substandard, overpriced or never constructed.
Romualdez has denied wrongdoing and maintained that he will face the allegations against him. The charges remain allegations unless and until proven in court.
Co-accused face their own arrest efforts
Romualdez is not the only person targeted by the arrest warrants.
The PNP-CIDG reported that some of the other accused could not be located at their listed addresses. Former lawmaker Zaldy Co, one of the principal figures named in the case, has previously been reported to be outside the Philippines.
The National Bureau of Investigation has also formed a special action unit to pursue the warrants involving Romualdez’s co-accused.
Why Thursday’s hearing matters
The immediate question is no longer whether Romualdez has been arrested. He has.
The bigger question is where he will remain while the case proceeds.
Three possibilities are now at the center of the dispute:
- Continued confinement at Cardinal Santos Medical Center
- Transfer to the PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame
- Eventual transfer to a regular detention facility in Payatas once medically cleared
The Sandiganbayan’s September 10 hearing could determine the next step.
For now, Romualdez remains hospitalized under police security, while authorities prepare both a medical custody option at Camp Crame and a detention facility in Payatas.
The political stakes are also unusually high: Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while the Ombudsman’s case places the administration under scrutiny over how it handles allegations involving one of the President’s most politically prominent relatives.
The question now is simple but consequential: Will the Sandiganbayan allow Romualdez to remain in a private hospital—or will the next stop be government custody?
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