MANILA, Philippines -- Police have been sent to guard the hospital room where Pasay City Administrator Ernestina Carvajal, who is facing illegal recruitment charges, along with the wife and brother of Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad, has been confined because of hypertension.

Superintendent Honorio Agnila, chief of the Southern Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said he had asked city police to post guards at the Pasay City General Hospital, where Carvajal was admitted Tuesday.

He said they would wait for Carvajal to recover before serving the warrant for her arrest issued by a Marawi City judge.

Carvajal, Trinidad’s wife, Nelfa, brother Sonny, and at least three others are facing charges of large-scale illegal recruitment.

Judge Amer Ibrahim of Marawi City Regional Trial Court Branch 8 in Lanao del Sur issued a warrant for their arrest on January 28, with no bail recommended.

Tuesday afternoon, Aglina and his men tried to arrest Carvajal but she had to be rushed to the hospital after her blood pressure shot up to 190/120. They also failed to arrest the other accused.

"In the commotion yesterday [Tuesday], we were not able to enforce the warrant on anyone. We could not find them anymore," Aglina said.

Pasay chief of police Senior Superintendent Marieto Valerio confirmed that Carvajal has been placed in the city police’ custody.

He said the city legal officer would go to Marawi City to try to move for the recall of the arrest warrant, which he said might happen two to three days.

"If not, we'll have no choice but to take her to Marawi City," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Trinidad earlier said the arrest warrant also included his wife Nelfa and brother Sonny. However, he said authorities could not arrest his wife since the warrant misspelled her name.

But Aglina said they have someone who can verify the identities of the subjects of the warrant.

Trinidad said he could not recall the details of the illegal recruitment case, which he claimed was a form of political harassment. He said it was only one of about 15 cases filed against him and his family by a political rival.