Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has urged former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez to face his plunder charges directly, raising concerns over his continued hospitalization following the issuance of his arrest warrant.
Romualdez was admitted to Cardinal Santos Medical Center on September 7, coinciding with the Sandiganbayan’s release of his arrest order.
The anti-graft court subsequently directed his transfer to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for an official medical evaluation to assess whether his condition requires hospital care or if he can be turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Emphasizing that law enforcement must apply equally to all citizens regardless of status, Remulla stressed that influential figures should not receive privileges denied to ordinary detainees.
“Well, a public hospital is the right place. Pero kung titingnan mo yung mga tao na nakakulong sa Bilibid o sa BJMP, most of them are worse off than him. And it’s sad that they want different rules to apply to him,” Remulla stated during a press briefing.
“Huwag sana ganoon, kasi we stand by the rule of law in this country and we don’t want people to have special treatment,” he added.
Remulla further stated that medical confinement should be reserved only for severe health emergencies, warning that special treatment for high-profile individuals undermines public trust in the justice system.
“It’s very sad. That guy, that former Speaker is resorting to this. I know him very well but he should take it with more dignity. Hindi dapat ganito. He should have more dignity with all of this,” Remulla remarked.
“Hindi magandang pangitain sa taong bayan na sasabihin na naman, porke may kaya, ito na naman nasa ospital. Yung mahirap nakakulong, hindi dapat ganoon,” he added.
“Face the music, face the charges like a real man should. Man up to it. Yan lang ang message ko,” Remulla urged.
The charges against Romualdez stem from allegations that he accumulated ₱7.44 billion in kickbacks from public infrastructure projects executed between 2022 and 2025.