The ambulance transporting former House Speaker Martin Romualdez following his transfer from Cardinal Santos Hospital.
THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the transfer of Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory, ruling that he may be moved from government medical custody to a regular detention facility.
The anti‑graft court emphasized that Romualdez cannot be relocated, discharged, or released at any time without a formal court order, ensuring strict oversight over his custodial status as he faces plunder charges.
The order follows an independent medical evaluation conducted by a specialist team at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which concluded that Romualdez is clinically stable and fit for discharge.
While his diagnosed conditions require continuing monitoring and treatment, PGH authorities determined that hospital confinement is no longer medically necessary — provided that appropriate outpatient care and medication are assured in his new detention setting. The findings effectively cleared the way for his transfer from the state‑run hospital to the city jail facility.
Romualdez was moved to PGH from Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Saturday, September 12, after the Sandiganbayan ordered an impartial medical assessment to replace his private hospital confinement. He stands accused alongside former House Appropriations Committee chairperson Zaldy Co, personal assistant Joselyn Tragua Serenio, and businessman Felicito Cristobal Guevarra in a ₱7.4‑billion plunder case stemming from alleged kickbacks and irregularities in flood control infrastructure projects.
The development marks a pivotal turn in the legal proceedings, as the court balances legitimate health concerns with the principle of equal treatment under the law. Romualdez’s camp has stated that he respects the transfer order while maintaining his innocence, vowing to defend himself against the plunder charges as the case moves forward.
metrosundaily
