Team DailyPedia
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will ask the Sandiganbayan to transfer former House Speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) at Camp Crame following his arrest on plunder charges.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the plan Tuesday, saying the PNP hospital can attend to Romualdez’s medical needs while keeping him under formal police custody.
Romualdez is facing a P7.4-billion plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman over his alleged involvement in the flood-control controversy. The case also names former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and two others.
“Kami po ay mag-momotion ng custody ni ex-speaker Martin Romualdez para dalin sa Camp Crame Hospital. Yun po ang gagawin naming initial step namin para under the formal custody bibigyan na lang namin ng visitation and practicing rights ang kanyang mga doktor para pwede silang pumunta sa Camp Crame,” Remulla said.
He said the motion would be filed with the Sandiganbayan Third Division either Tuesday or Wednesday. Romualdez’s private doctors could still be allowed to attend to him at Camp Crame.
For now, Romualdez remains at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where his doctors and PNP physicians reportedly agreed that his condition is “unstable.”
Reports cited a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and an anxiety attack.
Remulla also disclosed that, according to the hospital management, Romualdez experienced a medical episode in July.
“According to hospital management, speaker Martin Romualdez suffered a stroke sometime July. Transient ischemic attack,” he said.
“It wasn’t that serious, I saw that he has no deficiency but he suffered a cerebral vascular event last July,” Remulla added.
PNP doctors will continue checking on Romualdez and determine when he is medically fit to travel and appear before the court.
Romualdez arrived at Cardinal Santos Medical Center at around 4 p.m. Monday, shortly before the Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrant. Authorities later served the warrant in his hospital room and conducted booking procedures, including fingerprinting, taking mugshots, and a medical examination.
Security has also been tightened around him. Remulla described Romualdez as a “flight risk,” citing his reported ownership of private aircraft and yachts.
According to the DILG chief, two armed guards are stationed outside Romualdez’s room around the clock, while additional police personnel are deployed at the hospital.
Remulla also said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had “zero” intervention in the handling of the case involving Romualdez, who is the President’s cousin.
“Make no mistake about it, it really hurts him. But it is his duty,” Remulla said.
He also claimed that he and Marcos had not communicated about the case.
“Kahit i-check niyo lahat ng phone records namin, wala kaming communications talaga,” he said.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said authorities followed established procedures in serving the warrant.
“The PNP enforces court-issued warrants without fear or favor, regardless of the position or status of the person concerned. We will continue to observe due process and established police protocols as we perform our duty to uphold the rule of law and help ensure that legal processes are followed,” Nartatez said.
Both Nartatez and Remulla were present when the warrant was served.
Romualdez’s proposed transfer to the PNP General Hospital remains subject to the Sandiganbayan Third Division’s approval.
