Court questions visitations, medical status of 'ill' Marcoleta

The Sandiganbayan Third Division raised questions on the current medical status of accused Senator Rodante Marcoleta who was yet to accomplish court processes after experiencing chest pains among other medical conditions upon his surrender to authorities.

Nearly five days after he was admitted to the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame, the anti-graft court called on officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to a court hearing on Friday, 10 July, to identify the details surrounding Marcoleta’s continued confinement.

Testifying before the court, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Police Colonel John Guiagui said that the senator had informed him that the latter was unwell upon serving his warrant of arrest for the case of plunder.

“He said he was not feeling well and he was having chest tightness,” Guiagui told the court.

Given the symptoms, the officer was prompted to take the senator to the PNP General Hospital to receive further medical attention, leading to his subsequent hospitalization.

Marcoleta was later found to have developed symptoms of mild pneumonia, sinus tachycardia, generative disc disease among other illnesses.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Benaly Bayani, Chief of the Internal Medicine Department of PNP-Health Service General Hospital, said that Marcoleta was placed on antibiotics as a result of his pneumonia and recommended for the latter to be isolated as a preventive measure.

Bayani also affirmed that Marcoleta was fit to travel but advised to let the administration of the antibiotics to finish and be isolated, noting that the senator would be able to attend to remaining court procedures with a face mask on 15 July.

Why were visits allowed?

Taking note of the official's recommendation, Associate Justice Ronald Moreno then sought to clarify why both Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Robin Padilla were allowed to visit Marcoleta at the PNP General Hospital–with no face mask.

Directly asked the question, Bayani answered, “I don’t know the answer.”

In an ambush interview after the proceedings, Police Brig. Gen. Portia Manalad acknowledged that the lack of face masks for both Duterte and Padilla was a lapse on their part.

Manalad said that their group was going to conduct an internal discussion on the matter and said that it would comply with the orders of the Sandiganbayan.

The officer noted that the matter on who was allowed to visit the senator was out of discretion, stating that it was the CIDG that decided such concerns.

“I don’t know with the security because the CIDG handles that. I’m just saying the lapses that we forgot to say that a face mask was needed because of the condition of the senator,” she said.

“But as for arresting, what happened, who was allowed, it will be for the CIDG to decide,” she added.

The development at hand, Guiagui said that it was going to further restrict the individuals that were allowed to visit Marcoleta at the PNP General Hospital, limiting the same to his immediate family and members of his legal team.

He noted that no favoritism would be afforded to the senator who is accused of plunder and for violating Presidential Decree No. 46 with his receipt of P75-million in campaign donations from three private individuals last 2025.

“We have no favoritism. Again it is restricted, given his medical condition. And the visitors are very limited,” he said.

Marcoleta’s co-accused in former congressman Mike Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray are currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail - Male Dormitory in Payatas.