MANILA, Philippines — Former speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday filed a petition asking the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division to allow him to post bail.
Represented by his counsel Ade Fajardo, the Leyte 1st District representative asked the anti-graft court to grant him temporary liberty after being charged with plunder, a non-bailable offense.
Romualdez, along with former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and two others, was accused of receiving kickbacks worth more than P7 billion in connection with big-ticket government flood control projects.
The lawmaker said he is not a flight risk.
“The right to bail is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. It serves as a vital safeguard that balances society’s interest in securing the presence of the accused at trial with the accused’s right to liberty pending adjudication,” part of his prefatory statement read.
The Sandiganbayan last September 7 ordered the arrest of Romualdez and his co-accused. He is detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas.
Romualdez pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned last September 25.
His bail hearing was scheduled for October 12.
