Remulla Categorically Denies Allegations That Martin Romualdez Left Quezon City Jail
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday, November 5, 2026, categorically denied allegations that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez had been sneaking out of the Quezon City Jail–Male Dormitory.
“It is not true, and I categorically deny,” Remulla said in an ambush interview reported by GMA News.
Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government obtained CCTV footage showing that Romualdez did not leave the jail facility. He invited members of the media to review the videos with him at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), noting that the footage cannot be disclosed publicly.
“We have all CCTV footage na proof na hindi siya nakakalabas,” Remulla said, according to GMA News. In a separate report by the Inquirer, he dismissed the claims as mere “chismis” or gossip.
The DILG chief also said Romualdez remains under medical confinement in separate quarters and does not receive visitors outside designated areas, with only his counsel and family usually allowed to see him. Remulla further disclosed that Romualdez has lost around 100 pounds over the past year and now weighs about 160 pounds, ABS-CBN News reported.
The allegations earlier circulated after columnist Ramon Tulfo cited a source claiming that a jail superintendent allegedly ordered power interruptions so Romualdez could leave the facility undetected. The BJMP’s initial CCTV verification found no recorded power or camera interruptions and no movement by Romualdez outside the detention center during the period examined.
On Thursday, Tulfo apologized and said he had been fed the wrong information about Romualdez being able to go in and out of jail.
Romualdez is detained at the Quezon City Jail in connection with a plunder case linked to alleged kickbacks from flood-control and other government projects. The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered the BJMP to review CCTV footage covering Romualdez’s detention and to appear before the court on Monday, November 9, to present its findings.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on verified information as the investigation and court proceedings move forward.
READ ALSO: BJMP Releases CCTV Footage of Martin Romualdez Inside Quezon City Jail Amid Escape Allegations
