A Philippine anti-graft court on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and three others over alleged kickbacks worth over P 7 billion in the flood control scandal.

The plunder case, which is non-bailable, against ex-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former Ako Bikol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co and two others was filed by the Office of the Ombudsman Monday. Romualdez is Marcos' cousin.

The Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrant at 5 pm against Romualdez, who is still Leyte congressman. Romualdez's laywer, Ade Fajardo, said Romualdez will face the charges in court.

Bilyonaryo News Channel reported that Romualdez was in the Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital with Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on his way to serve the arrest warrant.

Remulla told Bilyonaryo News Channel that his hospital confinement is ''not a shield against arrest''.

He told reporters that the warrant was served inside Romualdez's room and his rights have been read. Doctors said. according to Remulla, that Romualdez has a ''cardiac event. His blood pressure is unstable and he is having an anxiety attack.'' Remulla dded that Romualdez ''looked very pale.''

Remulla said they will check Romualdez's condition daily to determine if he is well enough to face the court.

Romualdez is considered one of the big name suspects in the flood control scandal, which was revealed by Marcos during his 2025 State of the Nation Address.

Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro told a press briefing that those involved in the scandal ''whether they are relatives, friends, political ally or political foes'' must be held to account.

''The Palace respects the decision of the Ombudsman because it is its political mandate,'' she said.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said in his press conference : “We want the evidence to be there already. That’s what we did here, the process was not easy.”

According to the information containing the formal charges filed by prosecutors before the anti-graft court, Romualdez and Co were charged with “repeatedly receiving, directly or indirectly, on at least fifteen occasions, commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks, ‘commitments’ and/or other pecuniary benefits” worth at least P7.44 billion.

Also charged were Romualdez’s staff Jocelyn Sereño and a certain Felecito Guevarra, president of a money changer corporation. PHS