SENATOR Juan Ponce Enrile remained confined at the Makati Medical Center due to pneumonia and nobody, except the lawmaker and his doctors, can disclose his condition as of this posting due to the patient-doctor agreement he signed with the hospital, said police.
Correspondences between doctor and patient are confidential under medical ethics.
Enrile, who is under trial for plunder and graft due to his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam, was transferred on Thursday to the Makati hospital from the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital in Quezon City as he was coughing with blood and had high fever.
Doctors from the PNP hospital said the former Senate President’s transfer was a “precautionary measure” considering that pneumonia is a serious illness for the elderly. Enrile turned 91 years old last February 14.
Because of Enrile's health status, Vice President Jejomar Binay and some lawmakers are urging the Sandiganbayan to grant the senator's motion for house arrest.
"At least, kung nasa sarili kang bahay, laging kumpiyansado ka. Pwede kang magpunta sa kahit saang puntahan mo," Binay told reporters.
Binay said he immediately called up Enrile after learning that the senator was rushed to a private hospital.
"Natawagan ko na. At siya daw ay nilagnat. 39 (degrees Celsius) ha (body temperature) pero doon sa the manner by which he was talking over the phone, mukhang okay-okay naman si Manong (Enrile)," he said.
In his resolution, Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III said that Enrile’s “advanced age and current state of health require certain medical procedures and facilities to ensure his continued well-being.”
Albano also said that the court should also consider that the PNP hospital lacks the necessary facilities to properly address the aging senator’s health needs.
“Pending his trial, Senator Enrile should be given a chance to stay in his home because hospital is a stressful area and he cannot stay there for a long time,” he said.
Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Fariñas said he supports the resolution for humanitarian reasons.
“No person who is 91 years of age should be held in detention. More so, in the case of JPE (Enrile) who is only under detention pending trial of a non-bailable offense, he still enjoys the presumption of innocence. Finally, he is not a flight risk,” said Fariñas. (Sunnex)