Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is ordered transferred from police custody to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) while he remains under medical confinement. Multiple reports say the Sandiganbayan Third Division issues a commitment order directing BJMP to take custody after hearings on Romualdez’s motions for continued hospital confinement, during which he is described as medically stable.
The court’s orders are implemented in stages. Sources report Romualdez is initially held at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, and later placed in the Quezon City Jail in Payatas infirmary for medical monitoring. BJMP coordinates with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the turnover of custody, with one report noting the process is formally turned over at a specific time. Another report says Romualdez stays at the medical facility for now pending continued hospital confinement requests.
An explainer from Inquirer.net adds context on the Payatas facility, noting other high-profile detainees facing Sandiganbayan cases, including a senator in a flood-control-related plunder case and others for alleged failure to declare campaign donations. The outlets largely agree on the custody shift and the role of the Sandiganbayan, differing mainly on whether Romualdez has moved fully from the hospital at the time of reporting.
