The Sandiganbayan Third Division orders former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to be transferred from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila. The transfer is set to occur on Saturday (with one outlet citing a deadline of September 12 at 10:00 a.m.), and he will remain there until further court notice.
Romualdez is confined at Cardinal Santos after being admitted on Monday for chest pain, the same day an arrest warrant for plunder issues. In court hearings about his continued confinement, witnesses and doctors give medical views on whether and when a move would be safe. One doctor tells the court that transferring without a scheduled invasive or emergency procedure would pose a “big risk.” Another cardiologist says a safe transfer would require about four to six weeks, while also acknowledging that transfer is possible.
Outlets report the order itself while also highlighting different parts of the medical testimony: one emphasizes the risk of transferring sooner, while another focuses on the doctor’s estimate of how long stabilization and clearance may take. All accounts tie the order to the Sandiganbayan’s custody and confinement proceedings.
