Metro Manila, Philippines – Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez will seek bail on Monday, Sept. 28, in his ₱7.44-billion plunder case before the Sandiganbayan. The anti-graft court’s Third Division will begin hearing his bail petition on Oct. 12.
The prosecution plans to present 23 witnesses.
The bail hearing will determine whether he may be granted temporary liberty. In plunder cases, bail is not a matter of right when the evidence of guilt is strong.
Meanwhile, the court set Nov. 23 as the beginning of the trial proper for the main plunder case.
The prosecution received 74 hearing dates to present its evidence, while Romualdez’s defense received 41 dates. The court said it will not allow unnecessary delays in the trial.
Romualdez attended Friday’s pre-trial proceedings through videoconference from the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory in Payatas.
The court terminated the pre-trial after the parties agreed to finish pre-marking their evidence on Sept. 29 and 30.
The case involves allegations of a plunder scheme linked to infrastructure projects. Romualdez pleaded not guilty.
The court also ordered the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation to submit regular reports on their efforts to arrest the three other accused who remain at large, including former congressman Zaldy Co.
When third division chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda asked lawyer Gabrielle Rondain-Kapunan whether her client planned to surrender, Kapunan said she had no personal knowledge of Co’s plans but had been in communication with him.
The court directed the agencies to report every time they attempt to serve the warrants and whether they found indications that the accused were deliberately evading arrest.
