Former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez/ Videograb (FB)
The Sandiganbayan has submitted for resolution a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) sought against former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, court officials said Wednesday.
The announcement was made by Sandiganbayan Seventh Division chair Associate Justice Lorifel Lacap-Pahimna during a scheduled hearing.
A PHDO is a court directive that bars a person facing certain criminal allegations from leaving the country, typically issued when there is a strong basis to believe the individual may flee.
Court rules state that the measure is summary in nature and does not require a full trial, as it is intended for urgent cases involving possible flight risk.
It is also not a determination of guilt but is instead based on a preliminary assessment that the respondent may evade legal proceedings.
Ombudsman prosecutors, led by deputy special prosecutor Omar Sagadal, argued that Romualdez posed a high risk of leaving the country if not restrained.
The petition for the hold departure order stemmed from a complaint linked to alleged irregularities in flood control projects, which investigators said involved large-scale kickback claims.
Authorities said a preliminary finding of probable cause covered possible charges including plunder, bribery, and money laundering, with allegations placing the supposed kickback scheme at about Php 56 billion.