The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Senator Rodante Marcoleta will remain under the custody of the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) as doctors continue to monitor his unstable medical condition while he faces separate criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan.
PNPGH chief of Internal Medicine Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani said Thursday that Marcoleta’s latest medical examinations showed elevated cholesterol levels, mild pneumonia, and degenerative disc disease, while doctors are still awaiting the official result of his two-dimensional echocardiogram (2D Echo).
“We are still waiting for the official result of the 2D Echo. We already have the laboratories and the only findings we have is dyslipidemia, which is cholesterol. It’s elevated, and it can block the veins,” Bayani told reporters at Camp Crame.
She said Marcoleta’s blood pressure continues to fluctuate, making it difficult to determine how long he will remain confined at the PNPGH. Given that the senator is 72 years old, Bayani said his condition requires close medical monitoring.
The physician added that rehabilitation specialists are still assessing whether Marcoleta will require further treatment once all laboratory and diagnostic test results become available.
“So far, I haven’t talked to the rehab doctor. The rehab is still under assessment. We’re still waiting for the laboratories, further examinations, and further assessment,” she said.
Bayani said the Sandiganbayan will determine the next course of action once the senator’s medical evaluation is completed. She confirmed that the hospital has already submitted an initial medical report to the anti-graft court following the issuance of an arrest warrant against Marcoleta in connection with a plunder case.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) chief Col. John Guiagui said the Sandiganbayan has already served the arrest warrant against Marcoleta and former congressman Mike Defensor for alleged violation of Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits government officials and employees from receiving gifts and private individuals from giving them on any occasion.
Guiagui said the anti-graft court set bail at P30,000 each for the PD 46 charge.
Despite the bailable offense, both Marcoleta and Defensor will remain under detention because of the separate non-bailable plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged undeclared campaign donations.
The Philippine National Police also confirmed Thursday that it had received the Sandiganbayan’s commitment order placing Marcoleta under the custody of the PNP-CIDG pending trial and until further orders from the court.
The CIDG served the arrest warrant against the senator on July 6 after it was issued by the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan.
On Thursday, Senator Robin Padilla visited Marcoleta at the PNPGH. Vice President Sara Duterte had earlier visited the detained senator on July 7, a day after his arrest.
Guiagui said Marcoleta’s immediate family members and lawyers continue to be his regular visitors while he remains under hospital custody.
Separately, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia said the cases being handled by the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and other government agencies against Marcoleta and other respondents will not affect the poll body’s own proceedings involving campaign donations.
Garcia stressed that each government agency will independently handle the cases within its jurisdiction but assured that the Comelec is prepared to cooperate by providing documents requested by other investigating bodies, subject to data privacy rules.