The Sandiganbayan Third Division has permitted former Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez to sign the pre-trial order at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas on October 12. This decision comes after the anti-graft court ordered Romualdez to appear for his bail hearing on the same date. The pre-trial order is issued following the pre-trial conference where evidence for both parties is marked and read. Romualdez faces P7.4-billion plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on September 7, alleging his involvement in a kickback scheme related to flood control projects. The charges involve Romualdez and three others. Romualdez was arrested and booked on the same day he was confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, then brought to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas on September 14. During a videoconference on September 16, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. His bail petition, filed on September 28, argued that the evidence presented by the Ombudsman is insufficient to justify his detention, as it only raises suspicions rather than establishing certainty. The petition highlighted that the evidence includes testimonies from former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara, as well as statements from security aides of co-accused Elizaldy 'Zaldy' Co. Romualdez's legal team emphasized that none of the evidence strongly establishes his knowing participation in the alleged scheme or his acquisition of its proceeds. The petition also requested the Sandiganbayan to set a reasonable bail amount with required sureties. The court's decision to allow Romualdez to sign the pre-trial order at the jail reflects the ongoing legal proceedings in this high-profile case.

Vice President Sara Duterte's arraignment for three counts of grave threats related to alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been postponed again. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 rescheduled the hearing after Duterte's legal team filed a motion for reconsideration regarding Presiding Judge Maria Angelica de Ramos' decision to deny her request to inhibit the judge from the case. The arraignment was originally set for September 11 but was deferred after her camp sought the judge's inhibition. The Department of Justice filed the charges in August following an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation, which was initiated after Duterte's November 23, 2024, press conference where she made controversial remarks about having 'talked to someone' who would assassinate the President, First Lady, and Romualdez if she were killed. Judge de Ramos ordered Duterte's arrest on September 4 after finding probable cause, and she posted bail on September 5. Duterte's legal team is also pursuing a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court challenging the court's jurisdiction over her case. Separately, Duterte is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate that could lead to her removal from office and affect her eligibility for the 2028 presidential election. The grave threats case is part of the articles of impeachment against her. The Vice President's lawyer, Paul Lawrence Lim, stated that the judge decided to study all matters first and reset the hearing to another date, though the specific date was not disclosed. This is the second postponement of the arraignment, with the previous delay occurring on September 11. The case has drawn significant attention due to its political implications and the high-profile nature of the individuals involved.

The Leyte congressman has been detained since September 14 due to his plunder case related to the flood control mess

Posibleng magharap ang depensa ni dating Speaker Martin Romualdez ng hanggang 40 testigo sa kaniyang kaso sa Sandiganbayan.