The Filipino people have won. Martin Romualdez is going to jail.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered the master plunderer detained at the Quezon City Jail – Male Dormitory in Payatas, placing him under Bureau of Jail Management and Penology custody.
Romualdez will remain at Cardinal Santos Medical Center for now while the court reviews the hospital’s manifestation on his confinement, but the BJMP has already taken over his security and custody effective immediately.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla has fought hard to prevent hospital arrest for Romualdez and vowed to oppose any attempt to shield him from jail time. The Sandiganbayan’s order came despite Romualdez’s camp pushing for prolonged hospital detention, citing claims of being medically unfit. His arraignment and pretrial are set for September 14 in the ₱7.44‑billion plunder case.
Romualdez remains confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center after allegedly suffering a cardiovascular event, unstable blood pressure, and an anxiety attack. His lawyers begged the court to let him stay under hospital confinement, but the Third Division directed the jail warden to take custody of him as a detention prisoner.
The medical claims have drawn public skepticism after police released photos from his arrest. Romualdez appeared alert, while the bedside monitor showed stable readings. Observers pointed to his vital signs when served the warrant: heart rate between 81 and 98 bpm, oxygen saturation at 99%, and blood pressure ranging from a normal 118/76 to a slightly elevated 148/90.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division earlier ordered his doctors to testify and prove his request for continued hospital confinement.
The ₱7.44‑billion plunder case is only the first of many to be filed by the Ombudsman. More plunder and money‑laundering charges are expected.
The Sandiganbayan’s decision is a victory for the Filipino people, long left to endure flooding while supposed flood‑control projects were ghost works—failures that left 9.4 million affected and claimed 39 lives.
It also marks a triumph for Peanut Gallery Media Network’s relentless exposés, now in their 11th straight week—230 million views across 2,042 posts—cementing the most viral anti‑corruption campaign ever mounted against a single figure in Philippine social media history. Even as Romualdez fought back with over 80 lawsuits, the barrage only grew louder. And now, he’s going to jail.
