MANILA, Philippines — Former House speaker Martin Romualdez will be transferred to the Philippine General Hospital on Saturday, September 12, for an independent medical assessment as the Sandiganbayan weighs his request to remain under hospital confinement.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division announced the transfer Friday during the continuation of hearings on Romualdez's motion to remain at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, The STAR reported.
Romualdez is set to remain at PGH until further order from the court.
The transfer would place Romualdez in a government hospital while giving the court an independent assessment of the medical conditions his lawyers have cited to justify his continued confinement outside a regular detention facility.
Romualdez's camp earlier asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to remain at Cardinal Santos, citing cardiovascular conditions, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and primary hypothyroidism.
The Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of the Interior and Local Government opposed his continued confinement at the private hospital and sought his transfer to the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp Crame.
Hearings on Romualdez's motion began Thursday. He did not appear in court after his doctors certified that he was "unfit to travel."
The Sandiganbayan also issued a commitment order Thursday placing Romualdez under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and committing him to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory as a detention prisoner.
The court, however, had not yet ordered his physical transfer to the jail as it continued hearing his request for hospital confinement.
Romualdez was arrested September 7 while confined at Cardinal Santos after the Sandiganbayan found probable cause and issued a warrant in a P7.44-billion plunder case.
Prosecutors accuse Romualdez and three others of receiving at least P7.44 billion in alleged kickbacks and other financial benefits from contractors and parties with interests in flood-control, infrastructure and other government projects from 2022 to 2025.
Romualdez has denied wrongdoing and said through his counsel that he would face the allegations in accordance with law.