Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is under armed hospital arrest Monday night after police served a Sandiganbayan warrant in his P7.44-billion plunder case while he was confined at a San Juan City medical center.
What happened
The Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against Romualdez and three others Monday afternoon over an alleged kickback scheme on flood control and other government projects. Hours later, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued arrest warrants and hold departure orders against all four accused after reviewing the Ombudsman’s September 4 resolution.
Under hospital arrest in San Juan
Romualdez was rushed to Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Monday afternoon for a cardiovascular ailment and high blood pressure. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed the warrant had been served and said Romualdez is now considered a person deprived of liberty, with armed police posted outside his door. Officials will check on him daily until he is well enough to be presented to court.
Who is accused
| Accused | Role |
|---|---|
| Martin Romualdez | Former House Speaker, incumbent Leyte 1st District representative |
| Zaldy Co | Former House appropriations panel chair, ex-Ako Bicol party-list representative |
| Joselyn Tragua Serenio | Personal assistant to Romualdez |
| Felicito Cristobal Guevarra | President, Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation |
What the plunder case alleges
The criminal information accuses Romualdez and Co of repeatedly receiving on at least 15 occasions commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks and other benefits worth at least P7.44 billion. The money allegedly came from contractors and entities with interests in flood control, infrastructure and other projects funded under the 2022 to 2025 national budgets, with some sums delivered to properties linked to Romualdez and received by Serenio on his behalf.
Co, meanwhile, remains at large, having evaded arrest over a related plunder case and reportedly sought asylum in Europe.
Quick facts
| Charge | Plunder (non-bailable) |
| Amount alleged | At least P7.44 billion |
| Alleged occasions | At least 15 |
| Projects involved | Flood control and infrastructure, 2022 to 2025 budgets |
| Court | Sandiganbayan Third Division |
| Warrant issued | September 7, 2026 on probable cause |
Why it matters
Romualdez, first cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., once held one of the most powerful posts in the country as House Speaker, steering some of the largest public works fund allocations to his home district. The plunder case against him and Co is separate from the earlier graft raps the Ombudsman brought against Co over a Bulacan flood project.
The Sandiganbayan stressed that the warrant is not a finding of guilt, and all accused remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Plunder is non-bailable, so Romualdez is expected to be booked and detained once cleared by his doctors.
