MISLEADING: Martin Romualdez suffers mental illness

A Facebook post by “Kaalaman” shared that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, currently arrested over a non-bailable plunder case, has a “mental illness,” referring to his anxiety attacks as a problem in mental health.

CLAIM:

The post shared a graphic of Romualdez in his hospital bed with the text “ROMUALDEZ MAY SAKIT SA UTAK.” The post then framed his anxiety attacks as “problema sa utak.” It further claimed that the incident was because of his alleged acceptance of P7.44 billion pesos in kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.

RATING:

MISLEADING

CONCLUSION:

While the former House Speaker suffered from a purported anxiety attack and a “cardiovascular event” the night after he was served his arrest warrant on Monday, he has no recorded diagnosis of a mental disorder. Romualdez was also charged by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly receiving the amount claimed in the post.

THE FACTS:

• Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that Romualdez, according to doctors, suffered from cardiovascular events, with his blood pressure being unstable while having an anxiety attack.
• A medical certificate submitted by the latter’s camp to the anti-graft court stated that he was diagnosed with “hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, unstable angina, coronary artery disease, S/P PCI (post percutaneous coronary intervention), cerebrovascular ischemic disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and primary hyperthyroidism.” None of the diagnoses include mental illnesses, which the post had claimed.
• Romualdez was charged on September 7 for allegedly receiving P7.44 billion in kickbacks from former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co. The arrest warrant was given to the former at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where he was admitted after the charges were filed against him.

BOTTOMLINE:

The claim is MISLEADING. The post exaggerated Romualdez’s condition as a mental illness.