The Sandiganbayan on Monday, September 14, directed the commitment of former House Speaker and current Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez to the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory following medical confirmation from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that he no longer requires inpatient care.
Under the anti-graft court’s ruling, Romualdez—who is facing plunder charges—must remain detained at the facility and cannot be moved, transferred, or released without explicit judicial authorization.
processing the directive, the court relied on testimony and medical assessments submitted by PGH Director Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi.
Appearing before Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ronald Moreno, Legaspi confirmed that Romualdez’s physical condition is stable and that he is eligible for hospital discharge.
Medical evaluations from PGH indicated that while Romualdez has chronic coronary syndrome, tests ruled out unstable angina, placing his risk of an immediate cardiac event at low.
Physicians determined that his heart condition can be adequately managed in an outpatient setting.
Addressing the accused’s mental health status, Legaspi noted that Romualdez has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety. However, the evaluation established that he exhibits no suicidal ideation or severe psychiatric instability that would prevent self-care.
While inpatient psychiatric admission was deemed unnecessary, continuous monitoring, psychiatric follow-ups, and mood assessments were recommended.