MANILA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Philippine police served an arrest warrant on Martin Romualdez, former speaker of the House of Representatives, at a hospital in Metro Manila on Monday, according to local media reports.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the warrant had been served and said Romualdez is now deprived of liberty. The Secretary said he will be transferred to a prison facility once doctors determine that he is fit for discharge.
Earlier Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against Romualdez and three other individuals involving an amount of 7.44 billion pesos (about 120 million U.S. dollars). The money allegedly came from contractors and other entities with interests in flood control, infrastructure, and other government projects funded under the national budgets from 2022 to 2025, according to the charge.
Hours later, the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan (Philippine Anti-Graft Court) issued arrest warrants. Romualdez had been admitted to hospital on Monday afternoon due to a cardiovascular ailment and unstable blood pressure.
The Philippines is frequently hit by destructive typhoons. In the second half of 2025, widespread public concern arose over corruption in flood-control infrastructure projects. Massive protests were held in Manila and other major cities across the Philippines in September last year, denouncing widespread corruption involving high-ranking officials overseeing the government's flood control and related projects.
