THE Sandiganbayan has formally issued a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, preventing him from leaving the country amid pending criminal cases. The directive was issued by the court’s Seventh Division on Wednesday, granting the urgent petition filed by the Office of the Ombudsman to restrict the former leader’s travel while investigations are ongoing.
The legal action stems from allegations linking Romualdez to significant anomalies in the national budget, specifically concerning flood control projects. He is currently facing multiple serious charges, including plunder, graft, direct and indirect bribery, and money laundering. The issuance of the order signifies that the court finds sufficient basis to believe there is a risk the respondent might depart the Philippines to evade potential arrest and prosecution.
In its ruling, the court instructed the Bureau of Immigration to include Romualdez’s name in the hold departure list and to prevent him from exiting Philippine territory. A PHDO is typically issued during the preliminary investigation stage to ensure that respondents remain within the jurisdiction of the court and are available to face the charges filed against them.
This development comes shortly after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla rejected Romualdez’s request to travel to Singapore for a medical check-up. Remulla also revealed that authorities are moving to secure a freeze order against the lawmaker’s assets, signaling that the investigation is progressing rapidly and that strict measures are being implemented to ensure accountability.
