VP Sara visits Marcoleta at PNP hospital in Camp Crame

Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Senator Rodante Marcoleta (Facebook)Vice President Sara Duterte visited embattled Sen. Rodante Marcoleta at the Philippine National Police-General Hospital (PNP-GH), a police official confirmed on Tuesday, July 7.

Police Lt. col. Benaly Bayani, of the PNP Health Service, said Duterte arrived at the PNPGH at around 7:30 a.m. to check on the condition of Marcoleta who has been detained at the medical facility at Camp Crame after his arrest on Monday.

“Vice President Duterte arrived here at around 7:30 (a.m.) and she left at around 8:30 (a.m.), Bayani told reporters at Camp Crame.

Marcoleta is a known ally of Duterte. Police did not provide additional details of the visit.

After the service of arrest warrant for a case of plunder at the Sandiganbayan, he was taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City for booking procedures that include taking of fingerprints, mug shots and medical check-up.

Marcoleta was taken to the PNPGH after he complained of chest pains while undergoing booking procedures. It was then that doctors found out that he had high blood pressure.

“Senator Marcoleta is hypertensive. We can say that he is clinically stable because his symptoms are on and off but his blood pressure is not stable, fluctuating,” said Bayani.

Police said it will take one or two days before all medical tests on Marcoleta are completed, the intention is to come up with a full medical report to the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan where he is facing the plunder case.

But with his present condition, authorities are not discounting the possibility of additional days of stay in hospital until everything normalizes.

Among the tests so far performed were blood chemistry, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, 2D Echo and X-ray of cervical spine.

And based on medical tests and observation, Marcoleta is not yet ready to face a rigorous trial.

“Considering his age and the symptoms today and yesterday, we are on the stage of monitoring because his blood pressure is not stable,” said Bayani.

Marcoleta is 72 years old and once cleared, he is expected to be detained to the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas where all his co-accused in plunder, as well as Sen. JInggoy Estrada and former senator Bong Revilla are detained. — Aaron Recuenco