FORMER House speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez has been declared medically unfit to travel to the Sandiganbayan for his scheduled hearing on Thursday, September 10, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
PNP Public Information Chief Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed the development, stating that doctors at Cardinal Santos Medical Center issued a medical certification attesting that Romualdez is not in a condition to be transported to the anti‑graft court. The certification was received by authorities late Wednesday night, just hours before the hearing was set to begin.
Romualdez was ordered by the Sandiganbayan Third Division to appear personally on Thursday for the hearing on his Urgent Motion ad Cautelam for Continued Hospital Confinement, filed in a bid to remain under hospital arrest rather than be transferred to a regular detention facility. He faces a non‑bailable plunder charge stemming from allegations that he received at least ₱7.44 billion in kickbacks, commissions, and other unlawful benefits from flood control and infrastructure projects between 2022 and 2025 — charges which he has repeatedly denied.
Co explained that any decision to transport the former House Speaker would require close coordination between his attending physicians and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the law enforcement unit tasked with his custody. “Of course, they also have to coordinate with the CIDG, who will be bringing him supposedly to the Sandiganbayan if he will appear,” Co stated. He emphasized that beyond the certification of unfitness, questions regarding Romualdez’s broader health status remain within the exclusive purview of his medical team.
Romualdez was arrested and underwent booking procedures while confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Monday, September 7, after reportedly suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and an anxiety attack. The court has maintained that it alone has the authority to determine whether his medical condition justifies continued hospital confinement. With the latest certification barring his travel, the Sandiganbayan will now have to decide whether to proceed with the hearing in his absence, review his medical documentation, or issue a new order regarding his appearance and custody.
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