By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Senator Rodante Marcoleta remained confined at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital where he will undergo a series of medical examinations, the PNP said Wednesday.
According to PNP GH doctors, Marcoleta will undergo rehabilitation therapy after he was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease or a problem with his spine, and mild pneumonia.
PNPGH chief of Internal Medicine, Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani, said more tests are needed as the lawmaker’s blood pressure keeps fluctuating.
“Right now, Senator Marcoleta is okay, but his BP is higher today compared to yesterday and is 160/90. His other symptoms, like yesterday’s chest pain and then the pain, are somewhat gone, so our problem now is really with BP,” Bayani told reporters in a chance interview.
“160/90 is considered hypertensive stage 2. At his age (72), 160/90 is high for him, so he has symptoms like chest pain, back pain, and things like that,” she added.
Bayani also pointed out that the tests needed were blood chemistry, 2D echo, X-Ray to his chest and cervical spine.
“Yung sa 2D echo wala pa po, yung sa X-ray niya at saka doon sa cervical spine meron na pong result, meron talagang mga findings natin doon sa chest X-ray at sa cervical spine (No 2D echo yet, the X-ray and the cervical spine already have results; we actually have findings on the chest X-ray and the cervical spine),” the police doctor said.
Bayani also said that Marcoleta is “unfit to travel” as he was hypertensive and was also suffering from “mild pneumonia and degenerative disc disease.”
“Not at the moment,” Bayani said when asked if Marcoleta was fit to travel.
“I can’t say, sir, when it developed. It could be that when he was admitted to us a day ago, he already has it, or it can’t be that he is here in the hospital, he already has pneumonia because he was just admitted yesterday, so definitely not here in the hospital, maybe it was outside, maybe he already had it prior to his admission to the hospital,” the Police doctor said when asked about the pneumonia status of Marcoleta.
Bayani said aside from the maintenance medicine of Marcoleta which he was taking, the lawmaker was also taking medication for prostatic hyperplasia.
Prostatic hyperplasia is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. As the prostate grows, it squeezes the urethra, causing uncomfortable urinary symptoms like a weak stream, frequent urination, and waking up at night.
Return of warrant
In a separate interview, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., confirmed that the warrant of arrest against Marcoleta has been returned to the Sandiganbayan on Monday afternoon.
He said the lawmaker, however, was not brought physically before the court due to his unstable blood pressure.
“Nandito siya sa (he still at PNP GH) we have already returned the warrant of arrest with the information that he is under [police] custody,” Naratez said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co also said that the Senator was still at the PNP General Hospital for medical observation and that his commitment order has already been issued to him.
“The warrant of arrest of Senator Rodante Marcoleta has already been returned to the court, a commitment order has already been issued, and yun po as of now he is not yet stable yung sa status niya,” Co said in a separate interview.
“Most probably it is improbable that it will be today as I was informed by the Health Service na hindi pa po siya fit for travel at marami pa nga pong tests and hinihintay pa yung results naman nung tests na nagawa na sa kanya na kailangan pa pong gawin (Most probably it is improbable that it will be today as I was informed by the Health Service that he is not yet fit for travel and that there are still many tests and the results of the tests that have been done on him that still need to be done are still awaited),” he added.
Meanwhile, Marcoleta’s wife visited him at the PNP GH on Wednesday morning.
Once cleared by doctors, Marcoleta, who turns 73 on July 29, is expected to be detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas where all his co-accused for plunder, as well as Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former senator Bong Revilla, are detained.
A case was filed against Marcoleta after he admitted to receiving PHP75 million in campaign contributions, which he did not declare in his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures.
The three co-accused, including former congressman and Cabinet official Mike Defensor donated the amount to Marcoleta. (PNA)
