FORMER House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has been transferred to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.
In a statement, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which is in charge of Romualdez’s custody, said the lawmaker arrived at the Payatas detention facility at around 10:49 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.
The BJMP said Romualdez underwent standard booking procedures, including medical evaluation, fingerprinting, mugshot-taking, interview and orientation.
“Considering his medical needs and the medical recommendations presented before the Court, Rep. Romualdez has been placed in the jail infirmary together with others (persons deprived of liberty) requiring medical monitoring,” the BJMP said.
Romualdez is facing a P7.44-billion plunder charge stemming from an alleged scheme to siphon public funds through irregularities in flood control projects.
He was served his arrest warrant at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Sept. 7, hours after he was admitted to the private hospital.
The warrant stemmed from the plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against him and several co-accused.
The Sandiganbayan later ordered Romualdez transferred to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila for examination and medical assessment by government doctors.
He had asked the court to allow his continued hospital confinement, citing Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, primary hypothyroidism and other medical conditions.
However, PGH director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi declared Romualdez “clinically stable” saying there was no imperative medical need for continued hospital confinement.
The BJMP said Romualdez was subsequently placed in the jail infirmary to allow continued medical monitoring.
Aside from Romualdez, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and several former Department of Public Works and Highways officials and engineers are detained at the Payatas jail over charges related to alleged flood control anomalies.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former lawmaker Mike Defensor are also detained at the Payatas jail in connection with a plunder case involving P75 million in alleged undeclared campaign donations received by Marcoleta with Defensor among the individuals accused of providing the funds./ TPM