Quezon city: All respondents in the plunder case filed against Senator Rodante Marcoleta by the Office of the Ombudsman have been accounted for after another accused was arrested in Quezon City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co announced that members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) apprehended Aristotle Viray, a 55-year-old businessman, at around 6:45 p.m. on Monday at a gasoline station along Bonny Serrano Avenue. The arrest was conducted under a warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division on July 6 for violating Republic Act 7080, which defines and penalizes the crime of plunder, a non-bailable offense.
Col. Co further elaborated, "To confirm, nung nahuli si Mr. Viray noong July 6 (when he was arrested), he complained of elevated blood pressure, so he was brought last night, July 6, to the PNP Health Service, but he was cleared. He stayed overnight. So he will be in Sandiganbayan, for the return of warrants and for the commitment order."
Earlier on Monday, Senator Marcoleta had surrendered to the police and was subsequently taken into custody. His co-accused, former congressman and Cabinet official Mike Defensor, along with businessman Joseph Espiritu, were arrested at a coffee shop in Quezon City. Marcoleta, Defensor, and Espiritu were then transported by police to the Sandiganbayan for the return of the arrest warrant and later taken to Camp Crame for booking.
During the booking procedures, Marcoleta complained of chest pains and was taken to the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH), where he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani, chief of Internal Medicine at PNPGH, stated, "Senator Marcoleta is hypertensive. We can say that he is clinically stable because his symptoms are on and off but his blood pressure is not stable, fluctuating."
Authorities are considering the possibility of further hospitalization for Marcoleta until his condition stabilizes. "Considering his age and the symptoms today and yesterday, we are on the stage of monitoring because his blood pressure is not stable," Bayani added. Marcoleta is due to turn 73 on July 29.
Police estimate that it will take one or two days to complete all medical tests on Marcoleta before sending a full medical report to the Sandiganbayan. Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte paid a visit to the senator at the PNPGH on Tuesday morning, confirming, "Vice President Duterte arrived here at around 7:30 (a.m.) and she left at around 8:30 (a.m.)."
Once cleared by doctors, Marcoleta is expected to be detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, alongside his co-accused for plunder, as well as Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former senator Bong Revilla. The case against Marcoleta arose after he admitted to receiving PHP75 million in campaign contributions, which he failed to declare in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. The three co-accused had donated the amount to Marcoleta.
