Romualdez arrested, in hospital ‘detention’

Romualdez arrested, in hospital ‘detention’

MANILA, Philippines — Former House speaker Martin Romualdez was placed under arrest last night on orders of the Sandiganbayan, where he was indicted for P7.4-billion plunder together with fugitive ex-congressman Zaldy Co and two others.

Arrest and charges

Romualdez was served the arrest warrant at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who was at the hospital, confirmed.

Charges and court proceedings

The former speaker, first cousin of President Marcos, was reportedly suffering from an “anxiety attack” and a “cardiovascular event,” prompting his lawyers to ask the Sandiganbayan to grant him “continued hospital confinement.” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, whose office filed the plunder case, said it was just the first of a slew of charges to be filed in court against Romualdez involving plunder, malversation and graft related to kickbacks and the flood control mess.

A medical certificate submitted by Romualdez’s camp to the anti-graft court 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.”