Romualdez ordered to appear in Sandiganbayan on Sept. 10

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to appear before the anti-graft court on Thursday, Sept. 10, for the hearing of his motion for continued hospital confinement.

Romualdez, who faces a non-bailable plunder case, has yet to appear before the anti-graft court as he remains hospitalized at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.

READ: Romualdez arrested in hospital for plunder

Article continues after this advertisement

“Accused Romualdez is directed to appear before the court should his condition permit,” the court order stated.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The court emphasized that custody of Romualdez already belongs to the court.

“If there are concerns regarding the accused’s medical condition, it is only this court that can determine whether such condition affects the implementation of the warrant, the confinement of the accused at a hospital, or his commitment to a jail facility,” the order further stated.

The Third Division also issued subpoenas ad testificandum to Romualdez’s doctors Rody Sy, Rogelio Libarres, Kurt Allen Sibayan and Rosalio Torres.

The Philippine National Police on Tuesday returned Romualdez’s warrant of arrest for plunder, after he did not appear in court as he filed an Urgent Motion ad Cautelam for Continued Hospital Confinement with the Third Division in a bid to extend his hospital confinement.

Article continues after this advertisement

Police served Romualdez’s arrest warrant, and the lawmaker also underwent booking procedures while in confinement.

READ: PNP returns Romualdez arrest warrant to Sandiganbayan

Article continues after this advertisement

In his motion, Romualdez said he is suffering from Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, primary hypothyroidism and other illnesses.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division issued an arrest warrant against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and two others hours after the Office of the Ombudsman filed the information containing the formal charges against the accused.

According to the information containing the formal charges filed by prosecutors before the anti-graft court, Romualdez and Co were charged with “repeatedly receiving, directly or indirectly, on at least 15 occasions, commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks, ‘commitments’ and/or other pecuniary benefits” worth at least P7.44 billion.

The amount allegedly came from contractors, persons and entities with interests in flood control, infrastructure and/or other government projects funded under the General Appropriations Acts for fiscal years 2022 to 2025, according to the information.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Romualdez, in response, said he respects the legal process and will face the allegations against him in accordance with the law, according to his counsel Ade Fajardo. /mcm