Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez now faces possible detention after the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division issued arrest warrants and a hold departure order against him and three co-accused on Monday, following a finding of probable cause for plunder — an offense that cannot be posted bail and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The court’s orders, both dated September 7, 2026, and issued in Quezon City, were triggered by the formal filing of the case before the anti-graft court by the Office of the Ombudsman on the same date. The Third Division, to which the case was raffled, acted on the matter almost immediately upon receipt.
Four Individuals Named in Warrants
The arrest warrants and hold departure order name four individuals: Romualdez himself; former Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Salcedo Co; Joselyn Tragua Serenio, widely identified in media reports as Romualdez’s personal assistant; and Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, who has been reported to be the president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp.
As of Monday, Co had been reported to be at large. No reports had confirmed that any of the four accused had voluntarily surrendered or been taken into custody by the time the court’s orders were formally issued.
Ombudsman Resolved Plunder Charges Days Before Court Filing
Court minutes from the Third Division’s proceedings indicate that the Office of the Ombudsman had already resolved to indict all four respondents in a resolution dated September 4, 2026 — three days before the information was officially filed before the Sandiganbayan. The Ombudsman’s resolution, along with its supporting documents and submitted case records, formed the basis for the court’s determination of probable cause.
Citing Section 5, Rule 112 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Third Division concluded that sufficient probable cause existed to warrant the issuance of arrest warrants and the hold departure order against all four accused.
The proceedings minutes were approved by Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda, who serves as chair of the Third Division, together with Associate Justices Ronald B. Moreno and Fritz Bryn Anthony M. Delos Santos, according to court records.
Bureau of Immigration Ordered to Enforce Travel Ban
Through the hold departure order, the Sandiganbayan directed the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration to bar all four accused from departing the Philippines and to formally enter their names in the bureau’s Hold Departure List. The court grounded its authority on Section 6 of Rule 135, Section 23 of Rule 114 of the Rules of Court, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Santiago v. Vasquez, 217 SCRA 633.
The court also invoked its inherent power to employ all necessary means to carry its orders into effect, specifically to preserve jurisdiction over both the case and the persons of the accused — ensuring they remain within reach of its processes throughout the proceedings.
Monday’s Order Is Separate from the April Precautionary Ban
The hold departure order issued Monday is legally distinct from a precautionary hold departure order the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division had earlier imposed against Romualdez in April, which the Ombudsman had requested while the matter was still undergoing preliminary investigation. Romualdez filed a motion to have that earlier order lifted, but the Seventh Division denied the motion in a resolution promulgated in June.
A precautionary hold departure order applies before charges are formally filed. By contrast, Monday’s order follows both the filing of the information and the Third Division’s independent finding of probable cause — making it a separate and more definitive legal instrument.
At Least ₱7.44 Billion in Alleged Kickbacks Over Three Years
Ombudsman prosecutors allege that the four respondents received a minimum of ₱7.44 billion in commissions, kickbacks, and other financial benefits on no fewer than 15 separate occasions between 2022 and 2025. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, these alleged proceeds were sourced from contractors and other parties with interests in flood control, infrastructure, and related government projects.
Investigators have also placed the total alleged accumulation of ill-gotten wealth at approximately ₱56 billion over the same period. The case has been docketed as E-SB-26-CRM-0074 and charges plunder under Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7080, as amended.
Romualdez, who is a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stepped down as House Speaker in September 2025. He has publicly denied being behind any kickback scheme. His legal counsel, lawyer Ade Fajardo, was quoted in reports as saying the former Speaker respects the court’s processes and is ready to confront the allegations against him.
PNP-CIDG Yet to Receive Warrant Copy; Non-Bailable Nature Means Likely Detention
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group announced Monday afternoon that it had not yet received an official copy of the arrest warrant for Romualdez, but said it would proceed to implement the warrant once the document was formally transmitted to the agency.
Because plunder is classified as a non-bailable offense under Philippine law, any of the four accused who are taken into custody would be held in detention for the duration of the trial proceedings. The Sandiganbayan and legal experts have consistently emphasized, however, that the filing of charges does not constitute a finding of guilt — all accused are presumed innocent, and the prosecution bears the burden of proving the case at trial.
By the Numbers
- ₱7.44 billion — minimum alleged commissions and kickbacks received by the four accused
- ₱56 billion — total alleged ill-gotten wealth as estimated by investigators over the same period
- 15 — number of separate occasions on which the alleged financial benefits were reportedly received
- 2022–2025 — period covered by the alleged offenses
- 4 — total number of accused named in the arrest warrants and hold departure order
- September 4, 2026 — date the Office of the Ombudsman issued its indictment resolution
- September 7, 2026 — date the information was filed and the Sandiganbayan issued its orders
Why This Matters
The issuance of arrest warrants and a hold departure order by the Sandiganbayan against a former House Speaker represents one of the most consequential developments in Philippine anti-graft proceedings in recent years. The plunder charges — non-bailable and punishable by up to life imprisonment — mean the accused could be held in detention pending trial if apprehended. With the Bureau of Immigration formally directed to enforce travel restrictions, the court has taken concrete steps to ensure all four accused remain subject to its jurisdiction as the case advances.
Source: Wire reports
