Ailing Morato gets pass from hospital arrest to be ‘ninong’

The Sandiganbayan granted the request of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Director Manuel Morato to leave detention and attend a wedding Tuesday afternoon in Quezon City.

Morato, who is under hospital arrest on charges of plunder, was allowed by the antigraft court’s first division to be with his nephew, Manuel Morato Cuenca, at Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in West Triangle.

Morato’s lawyer, Anacleto Diaz, said the wedding was important to his ailing, 79-year-old client, noting that Morato, a bachelor, has no children but served as guardian to nephews and nieces.

A wedding invitation showing Morato as one of the ninong or principal sponsors was attached to a motion seeking permission for him to be at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony.

Diaz added that since Morato was placed under hospital arrest on Oct. 4, 2012, he had missed family celebrations like Christmas, New Year and the birthdays of loved ones.

Morato was one of the former top government officials led by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who were accused of embezzling intelligence funds of the state lottery agency worth P366 million.

The former PCSO director earlier told the court that he had gone blind in one eye and was also suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

On Oct. 22 last year, he underwent triple bypass heart surgery at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, where he remains confined.