LIVE UPDATES: Arrest of Martin Romualdez

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.

Late Monday, his camp filed a petition before the Sandiganbayan's Third Division to grant him "continued hospital confinement" due to health issues.

"Accused Romualdez is directed to appear before the court should his condition permit," the Sandiganbayan said.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is treating former speaker Martin Romualdez as a flight risk despite having several health conditions.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras," Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that Romualdez had enough means to escape.

“Martin Romualdez is a flight risk. Dalawa ang kanyang private jet, tatlo ang kanyang helicopter, tatlo ang kanyang yacht. He is a flight risk. Kaya gagawin na namin ang lahat ahead of time para preventive ang kanyang containment dito,” Remulla said.

(Marton Romualdez is a flight risk. He had two private jets, three helicopters, and three yachts. He is a flight risk, so we will do everything ahead of time to make his containment here preventive.) 

The Sandiganbayan has set a court hearing on Thursday, September 10, to determine if there is a need for former speaker and incumbent Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez to remain under hospital arrest.

The anti-graft court issued the order for the said hearing a day after Ombudsman prosecutors filed a P7.4 billion plunder charge against Romualdez, former House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list, Joselyn Tragua Serenio (personal assistant of Romualdez) and Felicito Cristobal Guevarra (president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation) over allegedly benefitting from a kickback scheme involving the government’s flood control projects.

Within the same day of the filing of the plunder case, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued a warrant of arrest against Romualdez, later served to him by the police at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center where the lawmaker is currently confined.

“It be emphasized that the custody of accused Romualdez 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. Considering the allegations in accused Romualdez's Manifestation and Urgent Motion which raise serious concerns on his medical condition, the court deems it proper to set the Manifestation and Urgent Motion for hearing on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:30 in the morning,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“The Clerk of Court is directed to issue subpoena ad testificandum to Dr. Rody Sy, Dr. Rogelio Libarres, Dr. Kurt Allen V. Sibayan, and Dr. Rosalio P. Torres of Cardinal for the hearing on September 10, 2026, and to furnish PNP CIDG-NCR, as well as the foregoing doctors copies of this Order,” the anti-graft court added, referring to the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detention Group National Capital Region.

In his Manifestation and Urgent Motion for hospital detention, Romualdez said he is currently confined at Cardinal due to the following diseases:

hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease;

•     unstable angina;
•     coronary artery disease;
•     s/p pci (post percutaneous coronary intervention);
•     cerebrovascular ischemic disease;
•     type 2 diabetes mellitus;
•     hypertension;
•     dyslipidemia; and
•     primary hypothyroidism.

In the same September 8 ruling, the Sandiganbayan ordered Romualdez’s doctors to submit all results of pertinent medical examinations of the lawmaker to the anti-graft court.

Romualdez, on the other hand, was also ordered by the court to appear before the Sandiganbayan “should his [health] condition permit.”

Romualdez, cousin of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., has maintained that he is innocent of all charges and that he will face his charges. —Llanesca T. Panti/KG, GMA News

The Philippine government will follow up its request for an Interpol red notice against former party-list lawmaker Zaldy Co in France, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday.

“We are filing a red notice for Zaldy Co again. Coincidentally, I will also be going to Lyon, France to follow up on his red notice with Interpol,” Remulla said at a press conference.

“So, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla announced yesterday that he is also going to Paris to talk to the authorities there. I will work with Interpol. He will work on diplomatic efforts to get Zaldy Co,” he added.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will ask the court to allow the transfer of former speaker Martin Romualdez from a private hospital in San Juan City to PNP General Hospital at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

"Meantime, kami po ay magmo-motion for custody ni Martin Romualdez para dalhin sa Camp Crame hospital," Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

(For the meantime, we will be filing a motion for custody of Martin Romualdez to be taken to Camp Crame hospital.)

According to Remulla, the motion is expected to be filed either later Tuesday or Wednesday.

Romualdez was confined at a private hospital in San Juan City when authorities served his arrest warrant there on Monday evening.

The individuals who were named as co-accused of former speaker and incumbent Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez in a plunder case could not be found at their original addresses, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said Tuesday.

This was revealed by PNP-CIDG National Capital Region chief Colonel John Guiagui, according to GMA News reporter Maki Pulido.

Romualdez's co-accused in the plunder charge filed Monday by the Office of the Ombudsman with the Sandiganbayan are former House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list; Romualdez's personal assistant Joselyn Tragua Sereño; and Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation.

Co, who is also facing other charges in connection with the flood control mess, was last reported to be staying in Paris, France, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said last May.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday morning filed the P7.4-billion plunder charge against Romualdez and three others over their alleged involvement in a kickback scheme on flood control projects. —with a report from Joahna Lei Casilao/KG, GMA News

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has released the mugshot of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez for his plunder case on Tuesday.

Romualdez has been served with a warrant of arrest on Monday and has undergone booking procedure at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Monday, according to Interior Secretary Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla.

Police have secured Romualdez at the San Juan hospital, where he was taken on Monday afternoon after suffering "a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and an anxiety attack," Remulla said.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Tuesday returned the arrest warrant issued for former House speaker Martin Romualdez to the Sandiganbayan.

According to GMA News reporter Maki Pulido, the PNP-CIDG said that Romualdez, who is facing plunder charges, is now under their custody.

The police served the arrest warrant on Romualdez at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where he was taken on Monday afternoon after suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and an anxiety attack.

Naghain ng mosyon si dating House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa Sandiganbayan Third Division nitong Lunes upang payagan siya na manatili muna sa ospital kung saan siya nakaratay habang hinaharap ang kasong plunder na isinampa laban sa kaniya ng Office of the Ombudsman.

Una rito, inihain ng Ombudsman laban sa dating speaker kasong plunder na nagkakahalaga ng P7.4 bilyon. Kasama sa kaso sina dating Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co, at dalawang iba pa dahil sa umano’y pagkakasangkot sa kickback scheme sa mga proyekto para sa flood control.

Dati nang itinanggi ni Romualdez ang mga ipinaparatang laban sa kaniya, at tiniyak na haharapin niya ang kaso.

Makalipas ang ilang oras matapos ihain ang habla, naglabas ang Third Division ng anti-graft court ng mga warrant of arrest laban sa kanila. Nang isilbi ng pulisya ang arrest warrant nitong Lunes ng hapon, napag-alaman na naka-confine na si Romualdez sa Cardinal Santos Medical Center sa San Juan City.