MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday shut down claims that former speaker Martin Romualdez was just performing “drama” to evade arrest as he really has a valid medical condition as declared so by physicians from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
“He is really sick,” Remulla told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
“May sakit talaga as according to the doctors. Hindi ako doktor, I am not qualified to give a medical opinion but from what the doctors in PGH said, he is fit to be confined sa BJMP but he needs medical supervision.
(He really is sick, according to the doctors. I am not a doctor; I am not qualified to give a medical opinion, but from what the doctors at PGH said, he was fit to be confined at the BJMP, but needs medical supervision.)
“So hindi drama yun. Hindi galing sa amin yun, galing sa PGH yun,” he said.
(So that isn't drama. That didn't come from us, that came from PGH.)
Romualdez was committed to the New Quezon City Male Dormitory in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City upon orders from the Sandiganbayan Third Division.
From the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, Romualdez was transferred to the PGH for an independent medical assessment “to erase doubts” on his medical condition.
Based on the examination done by a dozen specialists at the state-run hospital, PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi testified before the Sandiganbayan that Romualdez can be discharged at any time and fit for jail transfer since he was medically stable.
Infirmary
He was received by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at 10:49 p.m. on Monday, did booking procedures and was brought to the Infirmary ward where he will be staying temporarily along with three other regular persons deprived of liberty (PDL). His confinement at the infirmary is not permanent as he will eventually be transferred to a regular cell along with the others once he gets clearance.
BJMP spokesman Jayrex Bustinera affirmed that the jail institution was capable of managing the lawmaker’s condition. He does not have any personal nurse, doctors or aid staying with him, Rmeulla said. Nevertheless his personal physicians as well as his immediate family and lawyers can visit him every day except Monday between 1-5 p.m.
The interior chief, however, clarified that there would be no visit from his PGH doctors unless needed.
Remulla said the jail’s infirmary was about a 50-square meter ward with hospital beds, common baths with big exhausts to let air circulate. “‘Yun ang recommendations ng PGH doctors, parang nakalagay doon (it was put there that) he is fit to be confined but has to be under medical supervision,” Remulla said.
(That's the recommendation of the PGH doctors, it seems to be stated there that he is fit to be confined but has to be under medical supervision.)
As per PGH recommendation, the Leyte representative needs an electrocardiogram once a week and a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine which he refused, Remulla said.
Doctor's recommendation
According to Remulla, doctors recommended that he get 30 minutes of exercise with sunning which means he could go and interact with co-accused lawmakers inside.
“Yes kung gusto niya it his prerogative kung pupunta siya doon sa mess hall ng ibang senators pero ilang hours pa lang siya doon sa hindi natin alam kung ano ang preference niya,” he said.
(Yes, if he wants to, it's his prerogative if he goes to the mess hall of the other senators, but he's only been there for a few hours, so we don't know what his preference is.)
