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Ombudsman Seeks to Block Former House Speaker's Medical Trip Abroad
The Ombudsman has requested a court order to prevent former House speaker Martin Romualdez from traveling to Singapore for a medical procedure. No such order has been issued yet, and Romualdez received travel clearance from the House. He faces potential plunder charges related to a corruption scandal.
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MANILA, Philippines – Martin Romualdez is scheduled to travel to Singapore for a follow-up medical procedure related to his angioplasty surgery. The Ombudsman has requested that an anti-graft court issue a precautionary hold departure order against Romualdez to prevent him from leaving the country.
The court has not yet granted the request, and no hold departure order has been issued by any court.
House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil approved Romualdez's request for travel clearance on April 20, 2026, based on his commitment to return after the procedure. The approved travel period runs from April 20 to May 4, 2026. Romualdez's staff stated on April 21 that he remains in the Philippines.
Romualdez's office provided documentary proof of the clearance following a statement from Ombudsman Boying Remulla that the Ombudsman had barred Romualdez from leaving. Romualdez is subject to an immigration lookout bulletin order, but his legal counsel stated that this does not prevent travel.
“We urge caution against drawing conclusions from incomplete or unofficial information. Representative Romualdez has consistently respected legal processes and will continue to do so,” Romualdez’s lawyer Ade Fajardo said in a statement.
