The Philippine National Police (PNP) is bringing Sen. Rodante Marcoleta from the agency’s hospital at its Camp Crame headquarters in Quezon City to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila on Tuesday, July 14.
The vehicle carrying Marcoleta left the PNP General Hospital (PNPGH) at around 11:15 a.m.
Briefly speaking to reporters after the transfer, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed the senator was wearing handcuffs as well as an orange detainee shirt under a protective vest and a jacket.
Reporters also observed Marcoleta was on a wheelchair as he was being brought to his vehicle. ‘It is our hospital’s protocol that patients to be discharged must be on a wheelchair,’ Co explained.
This came a day after the Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered the PNP to bring Marcoleta to the PGH for an examination to determine if he still needs to be confined at the PNPGH.
Marcoleta was arrested last July 6 over a plunder case in connection with a P75-million donation he received but did not declare when he was a party-list representative before his 2025 senatorial bid.
However, Marcoleta was admitted to the PNPGH after complaining of chest pains and being diagnosed with hypertension and, subsequently, mild pneumonia.
His co-accused – former party-list representative Mike Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, who supposedly gave the P75-million donation – were also taken into government custody last week and committed to the New Quezon City Jail.
The Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered Marcoleta to appear before the court on Wednesday, July 15. /das