The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Friday, September 11, directed the transfer of incumbent Leyte 1st District Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) for an independent medical assessment.
Romualdez is set to be moved on Saturday, September 12, and will stay at UP-PGH until the anti-graft court issues further instructions.
Sandiganbayan Third Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda ordered the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), supported by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, to transport Romualdez at 10 a.m. via an ambulance equipped with necessary medical apparatus.
The independent review aims to validate the medical assessments from Romualdez’s physicians at Cardinal Santos and determine if ongoing hospital confinement is required.
To ensure objectivity, the court instructed UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, or an authorized representative, to perform the evaluation without any direct or indirect involvement from Cardinal Santos doctors who are affiliated with UP-PGH.
The designated physician must submit a report and recommendation to the court by Sunday, September 13, and provide testimony on Monday, September 14, regarding the necessity of Romualdez’s continued stay in a hospital.
Daily medical reports on his condition were also mandated by the court.
“If an accused requires hospital confinement, the court will not hesitate to allow it. But the court must make sure that hospitalization rests purely on medical necessity,” Miranda stated during the proceedings. “Justice must apply the same standard to everyone who comes before this court.”
The court also acknowledged a September 11 letter from Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion confirming that custody of Romualdez at Cardinal Santos had been officially transferred to the BJMP Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory.
Consequently, Romualdez’s arraignment and pre-trial have been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 16, at 8:30 a.m., pending the findings and testimonies of the UP-PGH medical team.
The directive follows testimonies heard earlier Friday from doctors Kurt Allen Sibayan, Rosalio Torres, Rody Sy, Rogelio Libarnes, and Lourdes Ignacio, who detailed Romualdez’s health status, diagnostic results, and potential health risks if relocated to a government hospital or detention center.
Romualdez faces a plunder charge involving alleged national budget irregularities. Following a finding of probable cause, the Third Division issued an arrest warrant on September 7. The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region executed the warrant at Cardinal Santos, where Romualdez was admitted that same day, and submitted the return to the court on September 8.
Romualdez previously filed a petition on September 7 requesting permission to remain hospitalized under official custody due to his health.