Sandiganbayan allows Romualdez to sign pre-trial order at QC jail

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has allowed former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to sign the court’s pre-trial order while detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, Quezon City.

“The Sandiganbayan Third Division had granted accused Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez’s motion to sign the Pre-trial Order at BJMP Payatas, Q.C. on October 12, 2026,” Third Division Clerk of Court Dennis Pulma told reporters in a message on Saturday.

“He will attend through videoconference. Although there is an order requiring him to appear personally, the court granted his motion,” he added.

The court also granted Romualdez’s motion to attend hearings remotely via videoconference, subject to the submission of a written waiver.

“The court hereby grants the accused Romualdez’s motion to remotely attend the hearings in this case through videoconference provided that the said accused shall immediately submit a duly executed informed written waiver, pursuant to 2nd paragraph, Section 4 of A.M. No. 24-11-02-SC dated November 4, 2025 or the Amendments to the Guidelines on the Conduct of Video Conferencing,” the 9 October resolution stated.

“The accused’s undertaking in the written waiver must comply with the conditions set forth in Section 34 thereof,” the resolution added.

More than P7 billion in alleged kickbacks from government projects between 2022 and 2025 are at the center of the plunder case against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, and two other individuals.