Marcoleta unfit for jail transfer

Arrested Senator Rodante Marcoleta remained confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital on Wednesday after doctors diagnosed him with degenerative disc disease, mild pneumonia and stage 2 hypertension, conditions that made him unfit for transfer to a jail pending further medical tests and treatment.

PNP hospital chief of internal medicine Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani said Marcoleta will undergo additional exams and rehabilitation therapy as doctors continue to monitor his fluctuating blood pressure.

“Senator Marcoleta is stable but his blood pressure is higher today than yesterday at 160/90. His chest pain and other pain have somehow subsided, but our main concern now is his blood pressure,” Bayani told reporters.

She said a blood pressure reading of 160/90 falls under stage 2 hypertension and is considered high for someone of Marcoleta’s age.

“He is experiencing symptoms such as chest pain and back pain because of his elevated blood pressure,” she added.

Bayani said doctors have requested additional tests, including blood chemistry, a two-dimensional echocardiogram (2D echo), and chest and cervical spine X-rays.

“The 2D echocardiogram has not yet been completed. We already have the results of his chest and cervical spine X-rays, and both showed findings that require medical attention,” she said.

When asked if the senator could be transferred, “Not at the moment,” Bayani said.

According to Bayani, the pneumonia likely developed before Marcoleta was admitted to the hospital.

“I cannot say exactly when it started. It is possible that he already had pneumonia before he was admitted because he was only brought here yesterday. It definitely did not develop while he was already in the hospital,” she said.

Bayani also disclosed that, aside from his maintenance medications, Marcoleta is taking medication for benign prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that can cause urinary problems.

In a separate interview, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed that the warrant of arrest for Marcoleta had been returned to the Sandiganbayan after police took him into custody.

The senator was not physically presented before the court, however, because of his unstable condition.

“He is still at the PNP General Hospital. We have already returned the warrant of arrest to the court and informed it that he is under police custody,” Nartatez said.

Marcoleta’s wife visited him at the PNP General Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Once doctors declare him fit for transfer, Marcoleta, who turns 73 on 29 July, is expected to be committed to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas where his co-accused in the plunder case, as well as Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., are detained.