Sandiganbayan Suspends Jailed Ex-Speaker Romualdez Amid P7.4 Billion Plunder Probe

Sandiganbayan Suspends Jailed Ex-Speaker Romualdez Amid P7.4 Billion Plunder Probe

By NATIONWEEK News Desk | November 13, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – In a move that has reignited public outrage over systemic corruption and preferential treatment within the justice system, the Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered a 90-day suspension for former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

The suspension stems from an ongoing plunder case alleging the illicit accumulation of P7.4 billion through ghost infrastructure projects, a sum that resonates deeply with millions of Filipinos directly impacted by the nation’s endemic flood control failures and the pervasive stench of kickbacks.

The anti-graft court’s resolution mandates Romualdez to “cease and desist” from his official functions as the incumbent representative of Leyte’s 1st congressional district. The order has been swiftly furnished to the office of House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy, demanding an update on actions taken within five days.

However, the suspension, while a significant legal development, has been met with a chorus of critical questions from a public weary of delayed justice. Why, many ask, was this suspension not imposed immediately after Romualdez’s arrest on September 7?

The former Speaker’s legal woes escalated dramatically when the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges, leading to an immediate arrest warrant. Authorities located the lawmaker at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, reportedly confined for chest pain and breathing difficulties, a confinement that itself raised eyebrows.

Less than a week later, on September 14, the Third Division ordered his transfer and commitment to the New Quezon City Jail – Male Dormitory, yet the official suspension only materializes now.

The plunder complaint also implicates former congressman Zaldy Co, a member of Romualdez’s household staff, and the president of a money changer company, all of whom remain at large, further fueling public skepticism about the reach of justice.

Judicial Scrutiny Uncovers Alarming Jail Irregularities and Preferential Treatment

The Sandiganbayan’s proceedings have since peeled back layers of concerning irregularities within the New Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory, exposing what critics decry as blatant preferential treatment for Romualdez and systemic failures in correctional oversight.

In a series of blistering exchanges, Associate Justice Karl Miranda vehemently rebuked Jail Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion for her inconsistent testimony regarding Romualdez’s detention conditions. “You’re here to tell us the truth. Stop changing the story. Just stick to one, to what’s the truth,” Justice Miranda sternly admonished Pacion, highlighting profound discrepancies in her accounts of special arrangements for the former Speaker.

Central to the court’s concern was the alleged constant presence of Romualdez’s personal aide, Arvin de Guzman. Pacion initially claimed De Guzman remained “around the clock,” then modified her statement to “on call” during standard visiting hours. Yet, under intense questioning, she conceded that De Guzman had, on occasion, been permitted to stay beyond designated hours, citing a shortage of jail personnel and Romualdez’s “specific medical needs,” including assistance with a CPAP machine and outdoor sunning.

Justice Miranda swiftly challenged this narrative, warning that such accommodations fostered an appearance of egregious preferential treatment. He pointedly questioned Pacion’s justification of “declining mental health” for Romualdez, noting a stark absence of similar humanitarian considerations for other detainees exhibiting signs of depression during his facility visits. Miranda underscored that medical attention for detainees should be provided by assigned facility nurses, not personal aides or relatives, a fundamental principle seemingly disregarded in Romualdez’s case.

Damning CCTV Deficiencies: A Veil Over Accountability

Further compounding the gravity of the situation were alarming security deficiencies unearthed during Justice Miranda’s inspection of the Quezon City Jail. A subsequent court order revealed that only 220 of the facility’s 450 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were operational. More critically, no functioning camera covered the precise area where Romualdez’s cell was located.

This revelation has been flagged as a grave security breach, making it impossible to independently verify Romualdez’s whereabouts and raising serious questions about accountability. Justice Miranda directly challenged Pacion on whether authorities could definitively establish Romualdez’s continuous presence inside the facility since his detention began on September 14.

While Pacion maintained that other monitoring procedures were in place, Miranda stressed that these did not compensate for the fundamental lack of verifiable surveillance footage. “I will stress, I am not saying that the congressman left the premises; the issue here is what you [Pacion] are saying,” he clarified, pivoting the focus squarely onto the reliability of Pacion’s testimony and the integrity of the detention facility.

Rights Group Slams “Despicable Double Standard”

The LAYA Campaign to Free All Political Prisoners has fiercely decried the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) attempts to justify the special treatment accorded to Romualdez.

LAYA spokesperson Amanda Echanis unequivocally labeled the situation a “despicable double standard,” asserting that Pacion’s invocation of “humanitarian considerations” starkly contradicts the BJMP’s historical treatment of ailing, elderly, and vulnerable detainees, particularly political prisoners.

Echanis cited harrowing examples: 77-year-old NDFP consultant Vicente Ladlad, suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, chained to his hospital bed; Bernabe Ocasla, who died after being hospitalized too late for uncontrolled hypertension; and Maria Miradel Torres, a four-month pregnant activist arrested while experiencing a threatened abortion, denied basic medical care and forced to endure inhumane conditions. “Not an iota of humanitarian consideration was given in these cases by the BJMP,” Echanis underscored, highlighting the stark disparity.

The Sandiganbayan has now recommended an immediate investigation by senior officials of the BJMP into the facility’s deficiencies, demanding accountability for personnel responsible for violations and a clear assessment of funding constraints.

This ongoing inquiry not only scrutinizes high-profile corruption allegations but also casts a profound shadow over the transparency, accountability, and equitable application of detention rules within the Philippine correctional system, demanding urgent reform and justice for all.

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