Senator Rodante Marcoleta remains confined at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital as doctors continue monitoring his condition and conduct additional medical tests after finding that he has degenerative disc disease and mild pneumonia.
PNP General Hospital doctors said Wednesday that Marcoleta will undergo rehabilitation therapy for his spine condition while undergoing further evaluation due to fluctuating blood pressure.
PNPGH Chief of Internal Medicine Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani said Marcoleta’s blood pressure remained elevated, although symptoms such as chest pain and body pain had already eased.
“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.
She said a blood pressure reading of 160/90 is considered Stage 2 hypertension and is a concern given Marcoleta’s age.
“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 said doctors are still waiting for the results of additional examinations, including blood chemistry tests and a 2D echocardiogram.
Chest X-ray and cervical spine X-ray results were already available and showed findings related to his current conditions.
“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,” Bayani said.
She also said Marcoleta is currently “unfit to travel” due to his medical condition.
“Not at the moment,” Bayani said when asked if the senator was fit to travel.
Aside from his existing maintenance medication, Marcoleta is also taking medicine for prostatic hyperplasia, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, according to Bayani.
The senator was brought to the PNP General Hospital after complaining of chest pains while undergoing booking procedures following his arrest in connection with a plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the warrant of arrest issued against Marcoleta by the Sandiganbayan has already been returned to the court, with authorities informing the tribunal that the senator remains under police custody.
“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,” Nartatez said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said the Sandiganbayan has also issued Marcoleta’s commitment order, but the senator remains at the hospital while his condition is being monitored.
“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.
Marcoleta was among the accused in the plunder case involving alleged misuse of funds linked to campaign contributions.
He was arrested after surrendering to authorities, while his co-accused former congressman Mike Defensor, businessman Joseph Espiritu, and businessman Aristotle Viray were also arrested.
Photo from Philippine Star
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