Claim: House Speaker Martin Romualdez suffered a stroke and is currently hospitalized.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The post bearing the claim has gained 35 reactions, and 52 comments, 4 shares, as of writing.
One of the post uploaded on Saturday afternoon, December 7, included the following caption: “Gisugod sa hospital kagahapon sa gabie si House Speaker Martin Romualdez human kini na heat-stroke. Matod pa nga kalit ra daw kini dili kaginhawa samtang nagpahulay ug nigahi ang lawas hinungdan nga dali-dali kini nila nga gidala sa hospital.”
(House Speaker Martin Romualdez was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening after suffering a heat stroke. It was said that suddenly he could not breathe while resting and his body became stiff, which is why they rushed him to the hospital.)
As early as December 6, Friday, there have been circulating videos on YouTube with over 60,000 views claiming that Romualdez suffered a stroke and is currently hospitalized.
The facts: The Office of Speaker Romualdez has denied the claim that he suffered a stroke or is confined in a hospital.
“We strongly deny the false and malicious rumors being circulated online claiming that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez suffered a stroke and is currently confined in a hospital. These allegations are completely untrue and are clearly designed to mislead the public and sow confusion,” said Lemuel Erwin Romero, Romualdez’s head executive assistant, in a statement released on Saturday afternoon, December 7.
Romualdez participated in several public events on Friday, December 6. In the morning, he attended the ceremonial signing of the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act and the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act at Malacañang.
Later that afternoon, Romualdez joined the year-end celebration and thanksgiving event of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, which was also attended by his cousin, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as well as governors and senators. – James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com
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