MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan ordered the transfer of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to the New Quezon City Jail on Thursday, but the move remains pending the court’s ruling on his request for continued hospital detention.
The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division placed Romualdez under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) instead of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
The court directed the BJMP to hold Romualdez as a detention prisoner and not move or release him without a court order.
Romualdez remains at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City while the court considers his motion for hospital detention. The court will continue hearing the motion Friday, Sept. 11. His arraignment and pretrial remain scheduled for Sept. 14.
The BJMP formally took custody of Romualdez, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first cousin, at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday.
“Rep. Romualdez will be accorded the same treatment and privileges as other persons deprived of liberty, with no VIP or special treatment,” the BJMP said.
The agency said it will transfer Romualdez to the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas once doctors clear him for discharge and the court issues an order.
The facility also houses detained lawmakers Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada and former congressman Mike Defensor, who face plunder charges.
Doctors testify on hospital stay
Romualdez entered the private hospital after reporting chest pain around 4 p.m. Monday. His admitting physician, Dr. Kurt Allen Sibayan, told the court Thursday that the case did not qualify as an emergency.
Sibayan said an emergency patient would normally go to the emergency room. He also said Romualdez’s medical abstract did not indicate whether his condition required hospital confinement.
In his request for hospital detention, Romualdez cited Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, primary hypothyroidism and other medical conditions.
Sibayan also testified that two of Romualdez’s attending physicians, Dr. Rosalio Torres and Dr. Rody Sy, told him not to enter the former Speaker’s room. Sibayan said the doctors did not explain why and that he had never encountered such a practice during his two years at the hospital.
Torres later testified that he advised Romualdez to enter the hospital for evaluation because of his cardiovascular history.
Torres also said a staff member of Romualdez asked him several months ago to assemble a team of specialists to provide medical care for the former Speaker. The specialists later agreed to admit Romualdez for an “executive checkup” in July.
PNP says Romualdez not fit to travel
Romualdez did not attend Thursday’s hearing. Philippine National Police public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said doctors at Cardinal Santos certified that Romualdez was not medically fit to travel.
Co said the doctors coordinated with the CIDG and that only Romualdez’s physicians could determine whether he could travel.
PNP Health Service public information chief Capt. Danilo Agustin said Romualdez remained under treatment and continued taking prescribed medication for his cardiac and blood pressure conditions.
Agustin said Romualdez had not reported new symptoms but continued to have elevated systolic blood pressure at 140 mmHg.
Plunder case
Authorities arrested Romualdez Monday after the Sandiganbayan issued warrants against him, former lawmaker Zaldy Co and two others over allegations that they received at least P7.44 billion in kickbacks from government projects between 2022 and 2025.
Prosecutors accused Romualdez and Co of repeatedly receiving commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks, commitments and other financial benefits on at least 15 occasions.
The charges allege that the money came from contractors and other individuals and entities with interests in flood control, infrastructure and other government projects funded under the 2022 to 2025 national budgets.