AGE and medical condition seemed to have earned the 73-year old Senator Rodante Marcoleta a sense of compassion in the form of “medical furlough” from the Sandiganbayan.
In its ruling, the Sandiganbayan Third Division allowed the detained senator to spend a day at the Medical City in Pasig City for a medical check-up.
Marcoleta was previously diagnosed with prostate enlargement, hypertension and dyslipidemia — an abnormal amount of lipids like fats– such as cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood.
Marcoleta, who is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail, is facing a non-bailable plunder charge over P75-million undeclared donations.
Government prosecutors earlier opposed Marcoleta’s motion for medical furlough saying the diagnosis was based on the examination of his personal doctor, not by physicians under the auspices of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Despite facing a non-bailable case, Marcoleta’s legal team remains optimistic that the court would consider allowing the sickly senator to post bail, as stipulated in a bail petition that was previously filed before the Sandiganbayan.
Also on Thursday, the anti-graft court started hearing Marcoleta’s motion for bail.
The first witness fielded by the prosecution was Atty. Victoria Kadeja Besinio of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Political Finance and Affairs Department.
Marcoleta’s camp said he is suffering from stage two hypertension and prostate enlargement, prompting them to file a motion for medical furlough.
“The court will grant the request,” said Associate Justice Karl Miranda, the Third Division chairperson.
Marcoleta, his donors former Rep. Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray are facing plunder over a P75 million campaign donation then Sagip partylist congressman received, which, according to prosecutors, was not declared in the senator’s financial and campaign disclosures.
All respondents pleaded not guilty for plunder during their arraignment.