Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez arrested in hospital over ₱7.4-billion plunder case

Former House Speaker and incumbent Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was served an arrest warrant for non-bailable plunder on Monday (September 7, 2026) while confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.  

The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court issued the warrant after a formal complaint was filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Romualdez, a first cousin and former key ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was accused of allegedly amassing approximately ₱7.4 billion ($118.21 million) in illicit kickbacks, commissions, and bribes from government flood-control projects between 2022 and 2025.

Top officials—including Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.—personally executed the warrant in Romualdez's hospital room.

According to Secretary Remulla, Romualdez was admitted shortly after charges were filed after suffering from a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and a panic attack.

Remulla emphasized that the stay is temporary and that Romualdez will receive no preferential treatment.  "We assure you he cannot hide behind his wealth," Remulla told reporters, confirming that Romualdez will be transferred to a government detention facility as soon as attending physicians declare his condition stable.

Systemic Corruption and Key Co-Accused

The multi-billion-peso scheme allegedly operated through systematic percentage-based commitments, quotas, and direct cash deliveries tied to national infrastructure contracts.

Ombudsman investigators stated that Romualdez maintained "uninterrupted control and meaningful participation over the national budget," while co-accused former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co allegedly influenced project inclusion and funding allocations.

Aside from Romualdez and Co, the Ombudsman named two other co-respondents: Joselyn Serenio, personal aide to Romualdez, and Felicito Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp.

The Ombudsman's finding of "prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction" relied on financial documents, property titles, bank deposits, corporate shareholdings, and witness testimonies—including depositions from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara.

Political Fallout and Administration Response

The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in a corruption scandal that has shaken the administration amid severe monsoon flooding across the country.

In his previous State of the Nation Address, President Marcos vowed an intensified crackdown on corruption, stating he was "not the president of my family" and "not the president of my friends," while disclosing that ₱545 billion in flood control allocations from 2022 to 2025 were tainted by irregularities.

"We are not singling out anyone. Everything is based on evidence," Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said. "This case proves that we do not take sides with anyone.

"Romualdez has consistently denied all accusations of wrongdoing through his legal counsel, requesting due process and a fair hearing.

His defense counsel, Atty. Ade Fajardo, reiterated that the former House leader intends to fight the charges through established judicial procedures.

"We respect the courts and the legal process. Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will face the allegations against him in accordance with law," Fajardo stated. 

"Representative Romualdez asks for no special treatment. He asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Truth, evidence, and due process should prevail."

Plunder is classified as a capital offense under Philippine law and is generally non-bailable, meaning Romualdez is expected to remain under BJMP detention for the duration of his trial once discharged from the hospital.

-Paraluman News, Philippine News Agency and Reuters