PNP hospital ready for Bonoan transfer but awaits lab test results

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) is ready to receive former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, but is awaiting his laboratory test results from the private hospital where he is currently being treated.

“His room is prepared, his bed and all the monitoring that we can use for him. The nurses and doctors are already prepared,” PNPGH chief Col. Cleto Manongas told reporters in a briefing in Camp Crame.

“For now, the Medical City is the one to give him the clearance… We’re still waiting on the result of the angiogram and the 2D echo,” he added.

READ: DILG accedes to Sandiganbayan on Bonoan health issue

Manongas noted that Bonoan was in stable condition with a blood pressure of 120/70 as of Friday morning, but it was too early to tell whether the former public works chief was fit to stand trial.

According to the PNPGH chief, the private hospital doctors are still working to rule out any complications with Bonoan’s heart.

Bonoan was first hospitalized in the PNPGH last Monday after a spike in his blood pressure following his surrender to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) over the plunder case against him.

He was transferred to The Medical City on Tuesday night, according to the PNP, citing that Bonoan needed more advanced equipment and facilities.

Earlier, however, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division partially granted Bonoan’s request for hospital arrest but ordered him confined at the PNPGH.

Asked whether the PNPGH was equipped to handle Bonoan’s condition, Manongas said, “We will collaborate with the attending physician of the Medical City. We will allow them to visit their patient here at the PNPGH. They can recommend what to do.”

And if Bonoan’s condition worsens? The PNPGH chief answered, “Maybe the PNPGH can make a recommendation to the CIDG, to the higher authority. And then, it’s up to them to decide.”

At a hearing at the anti-graft court on Thursday, citing information provided by the police, the Sandiganbayan bared that Bonoan had acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, carcinoma, prostate cancer and spine pain.

Why did the PNPGH initially only found Bonoan to be suffering from hypertension and only recently discovered the other ailments?

“That (hypertension) is the initial evaluation based on the symptoms during the time of examination,” Manongas explained.

“That was what we saw in the diagnosis and then, later on, we did further studies and we requested other laboratory examinations. That’s when we saw that the former secretary had other illnesses,” he said.

He noted that, apart from Bonoan’s camp mentioning that he had prior maintenance medicine, no other medical records had been submitted to the PNPGH.

Meanwhile, Mangongas said he could not comment and deferred to the Sandiganbayan when asked about Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s similar request to remain in hospital arrest.

Estrada had cited osteoarthritis and a knee effusion (abnormal build up of fluid in cavity or joints).

Bonoan, Estrada and three DPWH officials face plunder and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the flood control corruption scandal.

Except for Bonoan, all accused in the cases were committed to the New Quezon City Jail. /apl