The Sandiganbayan Third Division has directed the transfer of Senator Rodante Marcoleta from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to the Quezon City Jail Dormitory in Payatas, citing updates that his medical condition has stabilized.
The court’s order followed an official medical evaluation by PGH personnel. Dr. Gerardo Dizon Legazpi, the director of the hospital, confirmed the senator’s recovery and declared that “continued confinement in a medical facility is no longer necessary.”
Presiding Justice Karl Miranda handeled the directive on Wednesday, stating that the court accepted the medical assessment from the University of the Philippines-PGH, which concluded that the lawmaker is now “fit for regular detention.”
Following his initial arrest on July 6 in connection with an active plunder probe, Marcoleta had been permitted to remain under hospital arrest.
In light of the court’s latest order, the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) announced it is ready to execute his prompt transfer to the Payatas detention center.
Meanwhile, a parallel legal proceeding took place on Wednesday as Marcoleta’s co-defendants were formally arraigned.
Former Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Mike Defensor, along with business executives Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray, stood before the court to address charges involving the suspected misuse of public funds. All three individuals pleaded not guilty, setting the stage for the upcoming trial.