The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday, July 10, maintained that proper protocols were observed when Vice President Sara Duterte and Sen. Robin Padilla visited detained Sen. Rodante Marcoleta at the PNP General Hospital, following scrutiny from the Sandiganbayan over the visits despite his pneumonia and a doctor's recommendation for isolation.

Police Col. John Guiagui, director of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the National Capital Region (CIDG NCR), said the visits were approved because they were requested by Marcoleta and his family, maintaining that access to the senator had been tightly controlled.

“The custody and security belong to the CIDG. We are responsible for that. As to the visitors, they were really limited because of his medical condition. Actually, only his immediate family, his lawyer, and those who were requested at that time, Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Robin Padilla, were allowed,” Guiagui said.

“It was not a crowd. CIDG director Police Major General Robert Morico II made sure entry was restricted and very limited. Those were the only persons requested by Senator Marcoleta and his family. If you noticed, it was only Senator Robin Padilla and Vice President Sara Duterte. Many wanted to visit but we restricted them because of his medical condition,” he added.

The CIDG official issued the explanation after the Sandiganbayan Third Division questioned the PNP during a hearing on Friday over the visits made a day earlier.

Associate Justice Ronald Moreno questioned why the visits were permitted after Police Lt. Col. Benaly Bayani, chief of the PNP General Hospital's Internal Medicine Department, testified that Marcoleta was suffering from pneumonia, a communicable disease, and had been advised to undergo isolation.

During the hearing, PNP Health Service director Brig. Gen. Portia Manalad acknowledged "a lapse on our part," explaining that it referred to the failure to require Marcoleta and his visitors to wear face masks.

However, Guiagui disputed claims that Duterte and Padilla entered without face masks.

“They were wearing face masks when they entered. They removed them only when they came out,” he said.

Asked why the two officials were allowed while others were denied, Guiagui said the request came from Marcoleta himself.

“That was the request of Senator Marcoleta and his family. His legal team also needed to meet with him because they had to discuss legal matters. We cannot prevent that because they need to talk to him,” he said.

Guiagui said the CIDG director Morico approved the request by Marcoleta.

But following the court's remarks, Guiagui said the CIDG would further limit visits to avoid speculations that Marcoleta was being given special treatment.

“There was no favoritism. Access was restricted because of his medical condition and visits were allowed only for a very limited time,” Guiagui stressed.

Marcoleta has been under hospital detention at the PNP General Hospital, Camp Crame in Quezon City since his arrest on July 6 on plunder charges involving alleged undeclared campaign donations worth P75 million. The Sandiganbayan placed him under the custody of the CIDG while he undergoes medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the PNP also maintained that it had fully complied with all Sandiganbayan directives related to Marcoleta's custody.

“The Philippine National Police has fully complied with the directives of the Sandiganbayan. We promptly submitted the required documents, including the medical report, and we will continue to provide any information the court may require,” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said.

The PNP said the CIDG submitted Marcoleta's medical report to the Sandiganbayan Third Division on July 8. It also returned the warrant of arrest on July 6 together with the senator's mug shots, fingerprints, and certificate of detention.