Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez remains in the Philippines and is prepared to legally contest a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) reportedly issued against him, his legal counsel confirmed on Thursday.
Attorney Ade Fajardo addressed the reports head-on, following news that the Sandiganbayan had granted the PHDO at the request of the Office of the Ombudsman.
Fajardo emphasized that his client has no intention of evading the law.
“At the outset, we categorically clarify: Rep. Romualdez is in the Philippines and has not left the country. Any report or insinuation that he has fled is false and irresponsible,” Fajardo stated.
The lawyer clarified that the former House leader had actually been proactive in following government protocols regarding a scheduled trip for health reasons.
According to the defense, Romualdez had already secured the necessary permissions for a brief medical visit to Singapore.
“Romualdez followed the proper process. He sought and secured the necessary travel authority, and coordinated in good faith with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration for a brief, long-overdue four-day medical check-up with his attending physician in Singapore,” Fajardo explained.
Fajardo lamented how the routine travel application was being portrayed by critics, asserting that the lawmaker’s actions demonstrate a pattern of transparency rather than evasion.
“This is fully consistent with his conduct from the very beginning- one of cooperation, transparency, and respect for legal processes,” he said. “Unfortunately, this legitimate act has been twisted to create a prejudicial narrative that he intended to flee.”
The defense team is currently exploring all legal avenues to question the PHDO, maintaining that the former House leader “remains committed to facing these allegations squarely.”