Manila: Senator Rodante Marcoleta will remain under the custody of the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) due to his unstable medical condition, police officials said on Thursday.
According to Philippines News Agency, PNPGH chief of Internal Medicine, Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani, stated that based on the latest medical results, Marcoleta has high cholesterol, mild pneumonia, and degenerative disc disease. "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. For now, the 2D Echo is the official result we are waiting for," Bayani informed reporters during an interview at Camp Crame.
Uncertainty remains regarding the senator's duration of stay at the PNP General Hospital, as his blood pressure continues to fluctuate. Bayani emphasized the need to monitor his medical condition, especially considering his age of 72. Once the laboratory and medical test results are received, they will await the recommendation of the rehabilitation doctors on whether Marcoleta requires further treatment.
Further developments indicate that the Sandiganbayan will determine the next steps for Marcoleta once his medical assessment is complete. An initial medical report has been submitted to the anti-graft court for evaluation following an arrest warrant issued against him for a case of plunder.
Col. John Guiagui of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) confirmed that the arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan against Marcoleta and former Rep. Mike Defensor for a violation of Presidential Decree (PD) 46 has been served. Their bail was set at PHP30,000 each. However, Defensor and Marcoleta will remain in detention due to a separate non-bailable plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman over undeclared campaign donations.
The PNP confirmed receiving the commitment order for Marcoleta issued by the Sandiganbayan, placing him under the custody of the PNP CIDG pending trial. The CIDG served the arrest warrant against Marcoleta on July 6, following its issuance by the Third Division of the anti-graft court.
In related events, Senator Robin Padilla and Vice President Sara Duterte both visited Marcoleta at the PNPGH following his arrest. Marcoleta's immediate family members and lawyers are among his regular visitors. The PNP-CIDG was earlier designated as the custodian of Marcoleta by the Sandiganbayan.
Addressing related issues of campaign donations, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia stated that cases involving Marcoleta and three other respondents in government offices will not affect the case pending before them. He assured cooperation with other agencies investigating the issue, provided there is no violation of Data Privacy.
