A SANDIGANBAYAN justice on Friday pushed back at a four- to six-week recovery timeline for former House speaker Martin Romualdez, as his doctors linked his condition to extreme stress from the criminal case he faces.
Associate Justice Ronald Moreno questioned the prolonged recovery period during the second day of hearings on Romualdez’s request to not be transferred from the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where he is confined.
“We were being cursed by the people here,” Moreno said.
Romualdez is facing a P7.4-billion plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from flood control projects.
The timeline was proposed by cardiologist Dr. Rody Sy, who testified that Romualdez’s blood pressure reached as high as 170/110 on Thursday.
“It would take him four to six weeks to recover from his stress factors,” Sy told the court.
The pending case and arrest warrant contributed to Romualdez’s stress, Sy said, along with hypertension and diabetes.
Romualdez’s psychiatrist, Dr. Lourdes Ignacio, testified that he has depressive disorder and anxiety, and is taking medication for both conditions.
Ignacio said that if poorly managed, depression could affect the heart and brain.
Sy also said Romualdez’s blood pressure medication had been adjusted following Thursday’s spike, while his medication for sleep deprivation was increased from half a tablet to one tablet.
Despite the concerns, she acknowledged that Romualdez could be transferred to another facility with comparable capabilities, but it has to be carried out when the former speaker’s condition is controlled.
Dr. Rosalio Torres, who coordinates Romualdez’s medical team, told the hearing that no surgery or invasive procedure is scheduled for the moment.
On Friday, the Sandiganbayan ordered Romualdez brought to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for an independent medical examination.
The examination was scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The court said the PGH examination would verify the findings of Romualdez’s doctors and determine if there is a need for his continued hospitalization.
PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi was ordered to ensure that the examination is done without the participation or influence of Romualdez’s Cardinal Santos doctors.
Legaspi must submit his findings and recommendation to the court by Sunday and testify on Monday on whether Romualdez has an “imperative need” to remain hospitalized.
Sy acknowledged that Romualdez could be examined by government doctors at another facility.
