Martin Romualdez pleads not guilty to plunder; case moves to trial
MANILA, Philippines – Former speaker Martin Romualdez, cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., entered a not-guilty plea in his P7.44-billion plunder case related to the flood control mess during his arraignment before the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, September 16.
Arraignment is the phase in criminal proceedings that happens after an arrest or surrender. The court reads the accused the case and asks them to enter either a guilty or not-guilty plea.
If the accused enters a guilty plea, the case immediately moves to conviction, usually with a lower sentence. If not guilty, then the case moves to trial, as in this case.
Romualdez was not physically present at the 3rd Division after the anti-graft court allowed him to attend online. This set-up could be invoked by the accused, as long as the court allows it.
However, the court directed its clerk to personally go to the New Quezon City Jail, where Romualdez is detained, to read the information against him. Select members of the media were also physically present during the arraignment.
Romualdez, whom the Office of the Ombudsman called the alleged “central figure” in the flood control scheme, was charged with plunder on September 7 for allegedly receiving kickbacks.
He was arrested the same day, but the police could not bring him to jail because he was confined in a hospital after he had filed a request for confinement. Within the week, Romualdez was moved from Cardinal Santos Medical Center to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
The 3rd Division ordered the PGH to conduct an independent examination of Romualdez’s condition. On September 14, PGH medical director Gerardo Legaspi said the doctors found the former speaker stable and no longer in need of confinement.
After this, the chamber ordered Romualdez’s transfer from PGH to Payatas, the designated detention facility for accused facing flood control-related cases.
Romualdez had no pending motion to quash or similar motions, so there was no hurdle in the arraignment. The former speaker requested to waive the reading of the information, but the chamber denied his motion.
Pulma started reading information at 9:58 am and ended at 10:10 am.
Afterwards, 3rd Division Chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda asked Romualdez his number of years as a lawmaker, and if he graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law and Cornell University. Romualdez answered in the affirmative.
“So you do understand what was read to you?” Miranda asked.
“Yes, your honor,” the lawmaker replied.
“So how do you plead?” the chairperson said. “Not guilty, your honor,” Romualdez said.
During the trial, the chamber also revealed that Romualdez appealed the court’s ruling that ordered his transfer from PGH to Payatas. The court also dismissed this motion.
“There are many more, maraming, maraming (numerous) PDLs that have a worse medical condition compared to Congressman Romualdez,” said Miranda.
The chamber also brought up Romualdez’s possible preventive suspension. Plunder law’s section 5 states that an official who has a pending plunder case shall be suspended from his/her office.
“According to revised internal rules of Sandiganbayan, the accused is given a period of 10 days to explain why he should not be preventively suspended,” Miranda said.
Romualdez’s counsel said they will file a position before the court regarding the matter.
2 co-accused left PH
Two of Romualdez’s co-accused – former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, and Joselyn Serenio – have left the country prior to the Sandiganbayan’s issuance of hold-departure order against them.
Another co-accused, Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, remains in the country, Bureau of Immigration records show.
“The BI will continue to strictly enforce the HDO and undertake appropriate immigration measures within its mandate,” it said.
“The Bureau, however, cannot disclose specific travel details or other personal information concerning the individuals, in compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and other applicable laws,” it added. – Rappler.com
