Martin Romualdez to seek bail in ₱7.4B plunder case

Former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is set to face bail hearings before the Sandiganbayan starting October 12, 2026. His legal team intends to file a petition for temporary liberty regarding a ₱7.4 billion plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from government flood control projects.

Romualdez, who is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail, has pleaded not guilty to the plunder charge. He also faces counts of malversation and graft. The court has ordered Romualdez to personally appear and sign the pre-trial order during the initial hearing.

While the defense expects to present three or four witnesses, prosecutors plan to call 23 witnesses to oppose the bail request. The hearings are scheduled to run through November 12, with the full trial on all charges set to begin on November 23. Other individuals charged alongside Romualdez include household staff member Joselyn Serenio, foreign exchange executive Felicito Guevarra, and former congressman Zaldy Co, who remains a fugitive.