LIVE UPDATES: Sandiganbayan hearing of Martin Romualdez's motion for hospital confinement

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez will not be present in Thursday's Sandiganbayan's hearing on his motion for continued hospital confinement, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

PNP Spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said that Romualdez's camp has a certification that says the former Speaker is "medically unfit" to travel.

"What I can confirm is a certification nila that the patient is medically unfit to travel outside the hospital as of now to physically appear before the Sandiganbayan," Co said in an interview on Unang Balita.

"Yun ang po nilabas, today, nilabas na certification... Yun ang nakuha naming information as of last night, siyempre they also have to coordinate with the CIDG," he added.

The Sandiganbayan has directed former Speaker Martin Romualdez to appear before a hearing on September 10, 2026 on his motion for continued hospital confinement.

Romualdez has remained hospitalized at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City since Monday, when police served a warrant of arrest issued by the anti-graft court over a P7.4 billion plunder case.