Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez remains “medically unfit to travel” and will not attend Thursday’s Sandiganbayan hearing on his request to remain under hospital arrest, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said in a radio interview that the assessment was based on the latest medical certificate issued by Romualdez’s doctors at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.
The medical certification prevents Romualdez from appearing before the Sandiganbayan Third Division, which is set to hear his motion seeking continued hospital confinement.
The anti-graft court scheduled the hearing for Thursday, September 10, to determine whether Romualdez may remain under hospital arrest.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier described Romualdez as a “flight risk.”
Romualdez was placed under PNP custody on Monday, September 7, in connection with a P7.44-billion plunder case, but remains confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
The arrest followed the filing of plunder charges by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged kickbacks tied to supposed irregularities in flood-control projects. Later that day, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued arrest warrants for Romualdez and three other respondents.
The court also issued hold departure orders against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, Joselyn Serenio, and Felicito Guevarra.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense. Romualdez is accused of receiving P7.44 billion in alleged kickbacks from Co in connection with purported anomalies involving flood-control projects.