THE Sandiganbayan Third Division has summoned the four attending physicians of former speaker and incumbent Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to a hearing to determine whether his plea to be placed in hospital detention at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) in San Juan City owing health reasons should be granted.
The order stemmed from the manifestation and urgent motion filed by Romualdez on Monday asking the Third Division to allow him to remain in hospital confinement following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him for alleged plunder amounting to P7.4 billion.
In his motion, Romualdez claimed that he is confined at the CSMC due to several heart and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypothyroidism.
Romualdez also told the anti-graft court that he previously underwent angioplasty procedure owing to coronary artery disease and has since required continuing monitoring and treatment.
He also claimed to have been previously confined, during which irregularities found in his magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan examination.
In the order, the Third Division directed its Clerk of Court to issue subpoena ad testificandum to Dr. Rody Sy, Dr. Rogelio Libarnes, Dr. Kurt Allen V. Sibayan, and Dr. Rosalio P. Torres for a hearing scheduled on Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
‘At the outset, it must be emphasized that the custody of accused Romualdez belongs to the court,’ the order said.
‘If there are concerns regarding the accused’s medical condition, it is only this court that can determine whether such condition affects the implementation of the warrant, the confinement of the accused at a hospital or his commitment to a jail facility,’ it added.
Likewise, the anti-graft court ordered Romualdez or his doctors to furnish the court during the said hearing the results of all his medical examinations.
Romualdez was also ordered to appear before the court should his condition permit.
On Monday, the Third Division issued an arrest warrant against Romualdez , former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co of Ako Bicol, Romualdez’s personal aide Joselyn Tragua Serenio and Felicito Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation.
The arrest warrant stemmed from the complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman accusing them of illegally amassing wealth through kickbacks from from infrastructure and flood control projects of the government amounting to P7.4 billion.
The anti-graft court also issued a hold departure order (HDO) against all the respondents.
The crime of plunder is a non-bailable offense.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (PNP-CIDG-NCR) served the arrest warrant against Romualdez on Monday at the CSMC where the latter was also processed.
ThePNP-CIDG-NRC subsequently filed its return of warrant with the Sandiganbayan confirming that the warrant of arrest has been served on Romualdez at the CSMC and stating that the latter’s physical custody and security is with the PNP-CIDG during his period of confinement.
Chief Judicial Staff Officer Albert dela Cruz and Supervision Staff Office Romulo Barrozo of the Sandiganbayan Sheriff also went to the CSMC to serve the warrant following information that Romualdez is confined at the hospital.
The court officials were informed by Romualdez’s doctors that he was experiencing chest pain, and has coronary artery disease and psychological anxiety, among other medical conditions.
‘Romualdez officially a PDL’
SINCE the arrest warrant has been formally served on Romualdez on Monday night, he now a person deprived of liberty (PDL), Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla said.
Remulla said Romualdez received the warrant and was read his Miranda Rights at his hospital room.
‘Officially, Martin Romualdez is now in the custody of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.’
Remulla said Romualdez’s fingerprints were taken, and a photograph of him with the PDL T-shirt draped on his hospital gown was shot, explaining that the official was unable to stand up to wear the PDL T-shirt.
As a PDL, Remulla said there were two armed guards outside the hospital room at all time.
Romualdez will be escorted whenever he leaves his room, and his movement will be limited or restricted within the hospital.
‘There are armed guards in the hospital lobby, and there is also a mobile patrol group outside the hospital,’ he said.
‘Martin Romualdez is a flight risk. He has two jets, two helicopters, and he has three yachts. So, he is a flight risk,’ Remulla said.
‘We will be doing everything as a preventive measure to ensure his containment here,’ says Remulla.
According to Remulla, both the former Speaker’s physician and the PNP agreed that Romualdez’s condition is unstable.
‘As soon as he is fit and able to go to court, we will escort him and bring him to court,’ Remulla said.
However, the DILG chief said they will file a motion to place Romualdez under the care of the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame.
‘We will give his doctors visitation and the right to check on him.’
The motion, he said, will be filed later Tuesday or Wednesday.
The DILG chief said the PNP General Hospital is capable of taking care of Romualdez.
The hospital management, Remulla said, reported that sometime in July, Romualdez suffered a mild stroke or cerebrovascular accident.
Remulla said only immediate family members, his lawyer, and physicians will be allowed to visit Romualdez, even when he is transferred to the PNP General Hospital.
Remulla said the arrest was done without any instruction from Malacañang or the Office of the Ombudsman.
The DILG chief said the arrest effected in the case of Romualdez is not personal, noting that even the President did not intervene to stop the arrest.
‘They [Marcos and Romualdez] are not only cousins. They are brothers. President Marcos has no brother and the former speaker is like a brother to him,’ Remulla said.
He added that Romualdez, is his fraternity brother in the University of the Philippines’s Upsilon Sigma Phi, adding that even his brother, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, was very close to the former speaker.
Remulla did not say however that the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos and former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. were also Upsilon Sigma Phi brothers.