MANILA – Former House of Representatives Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was placed under arrest Monday night after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant in connection with a PHP7.4-billion plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The warrant was served on Romualdez at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where he was confined after reportedly suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that Romualdez was placed under police custody at the hospital after officers read him his rights.

“He is suffering from a cardiovascular event, his blood pressure is unstable and he is having an anxiety attack,” Remulla told reporters outside the hospital.

Remulla was accompanied by Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Eastern Police District director Brig. Gen. Roman Arugay and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Brig. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II.

Romualdez was brought to the hospital at about 4 p.m. Monday, shortly after the arrest warrant was issued.

Remulla said Romualdez would remain under police custody until doctors determine that he is fit to be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

“We will check every day until he is well enough to be presented to court,” he said.

The DILG chief said authorities would follow the precedent set in the case of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was allowed to remain hospitalized for several days while under police custody before being brought to court.

Armed police officers were deployed outside Romualdez’s hospital room and in the lobby, while a Philippine National Police doctor would coordinate with his attending physicians to determine when he could be transferred, Remulla said.

“We assure you that he cannot hide behind his wealth. No matter how wealthy he is, he cannot pay the law to allow him to sleep in a nice place,” Remulla said.

“We will bring him to Payatas at the proper time if the doctor says he is fit. This is not a permanent situation. His room in Payatas is waiting for him,” he added.

Remulla said the government would ensure that Romualdez, the first cousin of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., receives the same treatment as other people facing arrest warrants.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division, meanwhile, said the arrest warrant and hold departure order against Romualdez “remain in force and must be implemented” despite his hospitalization.

“If there are concerns regarding the accused’s medical condition, it is only the Court that can determine whether such condition affects the implementation of the warrant,” the anti-graft court said.

The Sandiganbayan also stressed that the issuance of the warrant does not constitute a finding of guilt.

“The issuance of a warrant of arrest signifies only that, after personally evaluating the records, the Court found probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offense charged,” it said.

Romualdez’s camp had asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to remain hospitalized. A medical certificate submitted by his lawyers said he was diagnosed with “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 hyperthyroidism.”

PHP7.4-B plunder case

The Ombudsman filed the plunder case against Romualdez, fugitive former Ako Bicol Party-list congressman Zaldy Co, Romualdez’s household staff Joselyn Serenio and Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp. president Felicito Guevarra.

The case followed at least seven months of investigation led by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano.

The Ombudsman said it found “prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction” against Romualdez, Co and their co-accused.

“Para ito sa pagkamal ng humigit kumulang PHP7.4 billion mula sa mga komisyon, commitment, quota, suhol at iba pa, galing sa mga napangakuan ng mga proyekto ng pamahalaan mula 2022 hanggang 2025 (This is for the accumulation of approximately PHP7.4 billion from commissions, commitments, quotas, bribes and others, from those promised government projects from 2022 to 2025),” the Office of the Ombudsman statement read.

The Ombudsman alleged that Romualdez had “uninterrupted control and meaningful participation over the national budget” by virtue of his position as former House speaker and his alleged friendship with Co.

Co, meanwhile, allegedly had the “influence and power to include, allot funds and prioritize projects in the proposed budget.”

The case stemmed in part from testimonies of several witnesses, including former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and Co’s security aides. Bernardo and Alcantara became state witnesses in cases linked to the flood control scandal before the Sandiganbayan.

The Ombudsman also cited documents, property titles, bank deposits and shares of stock in various corporations.

It alleged that Romualdez received cash deliveries amounting to PHP2 billion each on 15 occasions from Co’s staff between September 2022 and 2025, with Serenio allegedly accepting the money at Romualdez’s various houses and properties.

The agency further alleged that PHP5 billion from the supposed collections was used to establish “shell or dummy companies, namely Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., Braavos (sic) Holding OPC and Valiant Consolidated Resources Inc.”

The Ombudsman said the accumulated funds were also allegedly exchanged into foreign currencies through Guevarra’s money changer business.

It alleged that the companies were subsequently used to transfer and acquire other properties, companies and assets, including a property along Tamarind Road in Forbes Park reportedly worth PHP1.5 billion and a house along Narra Street in Forbes Park purchased by Romualdez’s family-owned business Trans Middle East.

The Ombudsman said the alleged scheme involved percentage-based commitments or quotas for infrastructure projects, kickbacks and repeated cash deliveries.

“Nagkamal siya ng ill-gotten wealth o nakaw na yaman sa pamamagitan ng serye o kombinasyon ng mga ilegal o kriminal na gawain. Naipakita ito sa pamamagitan ng kanilang isinagawang sistema ng percentage-based commitments o quota sa mga infrastructure projects, koleksyon ng balato, paulit-ulit na cash deliveries at pakikipagsabwatan ng bang mga tao (He accumulated ill-gotten wealth or stolen riches through a series or combination of illegal or criminal activities. This was demonstrated through their implemented system of percentage-based commitments or quotas in infrastructure projects, collection of kickbacks, repeated cash deliveries, and collusion with certain individuals),” the Ombudsman said.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the plunder case was only the first among several cases that could be filed against the former speaker involving plunder, malversation and graft related to alleged kickbacks and the flood control controversy.

He also said he was “not afraid of recantations” when asked about the withdrawn testimony of former Co bodyguard Orly Guteza.

“The case is not weakened because there is so much money stolen that there isn’t a place to store them; it was used to purchase houses, which were not needed,” he stressed.

Remulla said some of the allegedly amassed funds were also donated to an educational institution overseas.

He described Romualdez as a “big fish” and said he could face additional charges.

Romualdez has also been subjected to a precautionary hold departure order, money laundering cases and freeze orders since April.

The Ombudsman also disclosed that Romualdez had planned to leave the country in July for medical reasons despite the precautionary hold departure order.

Romualdez has repeatedly accused the Ombudsman of “prejudgment,” particularly over the agency’s description of him as the “mastermind” of the flood control scandal.

Romualdez camp: due process

Romualdez’s lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said the former speaker would face the allegations in court.

“We respect the courts and the legal process. Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will face the allegations against him in accordance with law,” he said.

Fajardo said criminal liability should be determined through evidence presented in court and under the rules and safeguards of the country’s justice system.

“Representative Romualdez asks for no special treatment. He asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Katotohanan, ebidensya at patas na proseso ang dapat manaig (Truth, evidence, and due process should prevail),” he added.

Palace says it will not interfere

Malacañang said it respects the Ombudsman’s decision to file the plunder case and stressed that accountability should apply regardless of political or family ties.

“For the President, whoever is accountable should be held to account. Whether it is a relative, an ally or an opponent in politics, whatever the evidence reveals should be disclosed,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing.

“So it depends on the one who was charged. If they have enough evidence to defend themselves, that would be up to them. And we respect the action of the ombudsman because that is their mandate,” she added.

Castro said she had yet to ask President Marcos about his personal reaction to the case involving his cousin.

“You heard it from the SONA, maybe from there, we can say that he does not have a positive feeling on this development. But if the evidence is screaming, it has to be presented to the people,” she said.

Marcos had revealed in his State of the Nation Address in July that cases were being prepared against Romualdez. Although he said the development was painful, he stressed that it had to be done because he was neither the president of his family nor his friends.

MANILA – Former House of Representatives Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was placed under arrest Monday night after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant in connection with a PHP7.4-billion plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The warrant was served on Romualdez at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where he was confined after reportedly suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that Romualdez was placed under police custody at the hospital after officers read him his rights.

“He is suffering from a cardiovascular event, his blood pressure is unstable and he is having an anxiety attack,” Remulla told reporters outside the hospital.

Remulla was accompanied by Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Eastern Police District director Brig. Gen. Roman Arugay and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Brig. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II.

Romualdez was brought to the hospital at about 4 p.m. Monday, shortly after the arrest warrant was issued.

Remulla said Romualdez would remain under police custody until doctors determine that he is fit to be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

“We will check every day until he is well enough to be presented to court,” he said.

The DILG chief said authorities would follow the precedent set in the case of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was allowed to remain hospitalized for several days while under police custody before being brought to court.

Armed police officers were deployed outside Romualdez’s hospital room and in the lobby, while a Philippine National Police doctor would coordinate with his attending physicians to determine when he could be transferred, Remulla said.

“We assure you that he cannot hide behind his wealth. No matter how wealthy he is, he cannot pay the law to allow him to sleep in a nice place,” Remulla said.

“We will bring him to Payatas at the proper time if the doctor says he is fit. This is not a permanent situation. His room in Payatas is waiting for him,” he added.

Remulla said the government would ensure that Romualdez, the first cousin of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., receives the same treatment as other people facing arrest warrants.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division, meanwhile, said the arrest warrant and hold departure order against Romualdez “remain in force and must be implemented” despite his hospitalization.

“If there are concerns regarding the accused’s medical condition, it is only the Court that can determine whether such condition affects the implementation of the warrant,” the anti-graft court said.

The Sandiganbayan also stressed that the issuance of the warrant does not constitute a finding of guilt.

“The issuance of a warrant of arrest signifies only that, after personally evaluating the records, the Court found probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offense charged,” it said.

Romualdez’s camp had asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to remain hospitalized. A medical certificate submitted by his lawyers said he was diagnosed with “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 hyperthyroidism.”

PHP7.4-B plunder case

The Ombudsman filed the plunder case against Romualdez, fugitive former Ako Bicol Party-list congressman Zaldy Co, Romualdez’s household staff Joselyn Serenio and Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp. president Felicito Guevarra.

The case followed at least seven months of investigation led by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano.

The Ombudsman said it found “prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction” against Romualdez, Co and their co-accused.

“Para ito sa pagkamal ng humigit kumulang PHP7.4 billion mula sa mga komisyon, commitment, quota, suhol at iba pa, galing sa mga napangakuan ng mga proyekto ng pamahalaan mula 2022 hanggang 2025 (This is for the accumulation of approximately PHP7.4 billion from commissions, commitments, quotas, bribes and others, from those promised government projects from 2022 to 2025),” the Office of the Ombudsman statement read.

The Ombudsman alleged that Romualdez had “uninterrupted control and meaningful participation over the national budget” by virtue of his position as former House speaker and his alleged friendship with Co.

Co, meanwhile, allegedly had the “influence and power to include, allot funds and prioritize projects in the proposed budget.”

The case stemmed in part from testimonies of several witnesses, including former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara and Co’s security aides. Bernardo and Alcantara became state witnesses in cases linked to the flood control scandal before the Sandiganbayan.

The Ombudsman also cited documents, property titles, bank deposits and shares of stock in various corporations.

It alleged that Romualdez received cash deliveries amounting to PHP2 billion each on 15 occasions from Co’s staff between September 2022 and 2025, with Serenio allegedly accepting the money at Romualdez’s various houses and properties.

The agency further alleged that PHP5 billion from the supposed collections was used to establish “shell or dummy companies, namely Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., Braavos (sic) Holding OPC and Valiant Consolidated Resources Inc.”

The Ombudsman said the accumulated funds were also allegedly exchanged into foreign currencies through Guevarra’s money changer business.

It alleged that the companies were subsequently used to transfer and acquire other properties, companies and assets, including a property along Tamarind Road in Forbes Park reportedly worth PHP1.5 billion and a house along Narra Street in Forbes Park purchased by Romualdez’s family-owned business Trans Middle East.

The Ombudsman said the alleged scheme involved percentage-based commitments or quotas for infrastructure projects, kickbacks and repeated cash deliveries.

“Nagkamal siya ng ill-gotten wealth o nakaw na yaman sa pamamagitan ng serye o kombinasyon ng mga ilegal o kriminal na gawain. Naipakita ito sa pamamagitan ng kanilang isinagawang sistema ng percentage-based commitments o quota sa mga infrastructure projects, koleksyon ng balato, paulit-ulit na cash deliveries at pakikipagsabwatan ng bang mga tao (He accumulated ill-gotten wealth or stolen riches through a series or combination of illegal or criminal activities. This was demonstrated through their implemented system of percentage-based commitments or quotas in infrastructure projects, collection of kickbacks, repeated cash deliveries, and collusion with certain individuals),” the Ombudsman said.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the plunder case was only the first among several cases that could be filed against the former speaker involving plunder, malversation and graft related to alleged kickbacks and the flood control controversy.

He also said he was “not afraid of recantations” when asked about the withdrawn testimony of former Co bodyguard Orly Guteza.

“The case is not weakened because there is so much money stolen that there isn’t a place to store them; it was used to purchase houses, which were not needed,” he stressed.

Remulla said some of the allegedly amassed funds were also donated to an educational institution overseas.

He described Romualdez as a “big fish” and said he could face additional charges.

Romualdez has also been subjected to a precautionary hold departure order, money laundering cases and freeze orders since April.

The Ombudsman also disclosed that Romualdez had planned to leave the country in July for medical reasons despite the precautionary hold departure order.

Romualdez has repeatedly accused the Ombudsman of “prejudgment,” particularly over the agency’s description of him as the “mastermind” of the flood control scandal.

Romualdez camp: due process

Romualdez’s lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said the former speaker would face the allegations in court.

“We respect the courts and the legal process. Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will face the allegations against him in accordance with law,” he said.

Fajardo said criminal liability should be determined through evidence presented in court and under the rules and safeguards of the country’s justice system.

“Representative Romualdez asks for no special treatment. He asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Katotohanan, ebidensya at patas na proseso ang dapat manaig (Truth, evidence, and due process should prevail),” he added.

Palace says it will not interfere

Malacañang said it respects the Ombudsman’s decision to file the plunder case and stressed that accountability should apply regardless of political or family ties.

“For the President, whoever is accountable should be held to account. Whether it is a relative, an ally or an opponent in politics, whatever the evidence reveals should be disclosed,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing.

“So it depends on the one who was charged. If they have enough evidence to defend themselves, that would be up to them. And we respect the action of the ombudsman because that is their mandate,” she added.

Castro said she had yet to ask President Marcos about his personal reaction to the case involving his cousin.

“You heard it from the SONA, maybe from there, we can say that he does not have a positive feeling on this development. But if the evidence is screaming, it has to be presented to the people,” she said.

Marcos had revealed in his State of the Nation Address in July that cases were being prepared against Romualdez. Although he said the development was painful, he stressed that it had to be done because he was neither the president of his family nor his friends.