Martin Romualdez

Quick Answer

Martin Romualdez's profile now runs through two chapters: the House control that drove the impeachment of Sara Duterte, and the plunder case that put the former Speaker in detention.

Key takeaways

• He became Speaker after Marcos Jr. took office and was the administration's main House operator until he resigned in September 2025.
• His chamber handled impeachment moves against Sara Duterte after the alliance broke down.
• He is the highest ranking official charged so far over the flood control scandal, and the plunder case against him is not bailable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Martin Romualdez important in the Duterte Marcos conflict?

As Speaker, he controlled House procedures, committee referrals, and floor movement during the impeachment fight.

How is he connected to President Marcos?

He is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first cousin and one of the administration's most powerful House allies.

Why do Duterte allies criticize him?

They view his House leadership as the machinery behind impeachment pressure and budget politics against the Duterte camp.

Profile details

Born

November 14, 1963

Age

62

Parents

Benjamin "Kokoy" Romualdez and Juliette Gomez Romualdez

Spouse

Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez, Tingog party-list representative and former Leyte representative

Children

Four children, including Andrew Julian Romualdez and Ferdinand Martin Jr.

Education

Cornell University; University of the Philippines College of Law

Previous offices

Leyte representative, House majority leader, House Speaker

Current status

Detained at the New Quezon City Jail on a plunder charge, still holding the Leyte 1st district seat

Family link

First cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; nephew of former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos

Path to the Speakership

Romualdez represents Leyte's 1st district, first elected in 2019. He is a lawyer and businessman. He chaired the House committee on rules and was a deputy speaker before becoming Speaker after Marcos's 2022 inauguration. His rise was aided by his cousin's presidential victory and a coalition that included the Nacionalista Party, Lakas CMD, and PDP Laban, which was then still partly aligned with Marcos.

Impeachment Manager

When the first impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was filed in November 2025, Romualdez quickly referred it to the justice committee. Duterte allies called this a railroaded process. He appointed 11 prosecution managers, mostly his loyal deputies. The House voted 287 to 36 to transmit the articles to the Senate. A second complaint in February 2026 followed similar steps, cementing his reputation as the administration's impeachment spearhead.

Resignation from the Speakership in September 2025

Romualdez resigned the speakership on September 17, 2025, after contractors named him at Senate and House hearings on substandard flood control works. He said the controversies raised questions that weighed on the institution and that the longer he stayed, the heavier that burden grew. Isabela representative Faustino Dy III was elected in his place with 253 votes. Romualdez kept his Leyte seat and said he was stepping aside so the Independent Commission for Infrastructure could work without interference.

The Plunder Case and the September 2026 Arrest

The Ombudsman charged him with plunder over an alleged 7.4 billion pesos collected between 2022 and 2025, naming former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, aide Joselyn Serenio, and Samchan Foreign Exchange president Felicito Guevarra as co accused. Investigators allege that about 5 billion pesos was moved through holding companies set up for the purpose. The Sandiganbayan Third Division issued the arrest warrant on September 7, 2026, and police served it at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where he had been admitted hours earlier for a cardiovascular complaint.

Detention, Arraignment, and the Bail Question

The court rejected his request to move to a tertiary government hospital after doctors at the Philippine General Hospital said he was clinically stable and could be managed outside a hospital ward. He is held at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas. On September 16, 2026, he appeared by video from the jail and pleaded not guilty. His lawyers said he will apply for bail, which plunder allows only if the evidence of guilt is found weak, and the court set pre marking of evidence for the following week.

Legislative power beyond impeachment

• Romualdez's House passed the 2026 national budget with record speed, 17 days from filing to approval. Critics said it limited scrutiny.
• He championed the Tatak Pinoy bill, Republic Act 11981, expanding local manufacturing, and the National Employment Recovery plan. Both were signed by Marcos.
• His speakership has seen a decline in unincorporated bills from the minority, a sign of tight majority control rarely seen since the Arroyo era.

Controversies: Flood funds, family business, and bullying claims

• In 2024, a Commission on Audit report flagged 1.2 billion pesos in flood control projects in Leyte as poorly documented. Romualdez defended them as standard infrastructure. The wider flood control inquiry that followed ended in the plunder charge filed against him in 2026.
• His family's media and real estate interests have drawn conflict of interest questions when the House deliberated on franchise renewals or zoning laws. No ethics complaint succeeded.
• Duterte allies accuse him of weaponizing the House's contempt powers. Several Duterte friendly lawmakers were cited for disorderly behavior during impeachment hearings.

Mindanao relevance: why a Leyte Speaker matters to Davao

• Romualdez personally assigned Mindanao lawmakers to key committees like peace, autonomy, and agriculture. That is a soft power move that rewards allies and sidelines Duterte loyalists.
• His office coordinated with the Marcos administration's asymmetric autonomy proposal, which requires House approval for new fiscal powers to Mindanao regions. That is a bargaining chip he controls.
• By 2026, half of the Davao Region's congressional delegation had either been stripped of committee chairmanships or switched allegiance to the Romualdez led majority.

Details often missed

• Romualdez is a lawyer who once worked as a law clerk for the Philippine Supreme Court. He rarely mentions this background, but it shaped his procedural rigidity.
• He is the first Speaker since Jose de Venecia Jr. to serve more than three consecutive years without a coup attempt inside the House.
• His relationship with Senate President Francis Escudero is frosty, partly because Escudero's Senate refused to convict Duterte. That was a public rebuke to Romualdez's prosecutorial push.