Sandiganbayan orders Romualdez detained at New Quezon City Jail

MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker Martin Romaldez is set to be detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas after the Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered his transfer to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Thursday, September 10.

“We hereby commit to you the living person of accused Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez, who is charged in the aforesaid case for the crime of plunder, to be held therein as a detention prisoner,” the order read.

This is the same jail facility where Sens. Rodante Marcoleta, Jinggoy Estrada and former lawmaker Mike Defensor are also detained for plunder charges.

His arraignment is scheduled on September 14 at 8:30 a.m.

The commitment order was issued as the court heard the Leyte lawmaker’s motion for continued hospital arrest. 

Philippine National Police Spokesperson Allan Rae Co earlier said in an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita that Romualdez will not be able to attend the hearing as doctors said he was “medically unfit to travel."

Romualdez is asking the court to allow him to remain confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, saying he is suffering from multiple illnesses like heart-related diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and primary hypothyroidism.

The Ombudsman, however, earlier said that they will oppose the request for continued confinement at Cardinal Santos.

Authorities are asking the court to transfer Romualdez to the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame.

Romualdez is facing a P7.44-billion non-bailable plunder charge linked to the flood control corruption scandal.