Romualdez shares Quezon City Jail infirmary with 3 other PDLs, Remulla says

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla provides a situational report on the arrest of former House speaker Martin Romualdez during a press briefing at Camp Crame on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (Santi San Juan)

Former House speaker Martin Romualdez is sharing the infirmary of the Quezon City Jail with three other persons deprived of liberty, a top government official disclosed on Tuesday, Sept, 15.

Romualdez was transferred to the Quezon City Jail on Monday night from the Philippine General Hospital based on the order of the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan after government doctors said he is fit to be locked inside a regular detention facility.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Romualdez is with three regular inmates, as he emphasized that there will be no special treatment for him.

“It is smaller, I think it’s 50 square meters. From what I saw yesterday, there’s no air condition, with a common bathroom and exhaust,” said Remulla.

Romualdez’s stay at the infirmary, Remulla explained, is in compliance with the recommendation of the PGH doctors that he is fit to be confined but has to be under medical supervision.

He said it is up to the physicians to determine how long would Romualdez stay in the infirmary and be transferred to an ordinary detention facility.

The recommendation also includes once a week electrocardiogram (EKG) and a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

“There’s also a hospital bed just in case there would be an emergency. These are the recommendations of the Sandiganbayan and the PGH that we are following,” said Remulla.

No drama

Romualdez is facing P7.4 billion plunder case and he was arrested a few hours after an arrest warrant was issued. The warrant was served at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City where he sought medical attention before his arrest.

While netizens said it was just a drama, Remulla said the Leyte congressman is really facing medical issues.

“He is really sick. I am not a doctor, I am not qualified to give a medical opinion but the doctors from PGH said he needs medical supervision,” said Remulla.

“So that’s not drama. That statement (that Romualdez) is facing medical issues did not come from us, it came from the PGH,” he stressed.

Chance meeting?

Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are also detained in the same facility, as well as former congressman Mike Defensor who has been very vocal against Romualdez on the issue of flood control.

Several key players in flood control are also detained in the same facility over the same plunder cases.

“If he likes, it’s his prerogative if he wants to go there in the mess hall of the senators,” said Remulla when asked if Romualdez would have the chance to meet the two detained senators. — Aaron Recuenco