MANILA, Philippines – “As private as possible.”

It’s what the camp of indicted Senator Juan Ponce Enrile wants when it comes to matters concerning his health while detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital at Camp Crame, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said in a press briefing on Monday, July 7.

Enrile surrendered to the police on Friday, July 4, after anti-graft court Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant against him for graft and plunder charges.

After undergoing booking procedures, Enrile was placed under temporary hospital confinement by the PNP “due to [his] medical condition.” 

From the get-go, Enrile’s camp made it clear they wanted details of his detention kept from public scrutiny. Upon his surrender, his camp requested the PNP not to release him mugshots or any photos from the booking procedure.

Without any laws to dictate otherwise, the request was granted by the PNP.

Eye ailments

Sindac told reporters the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) had returned the arrest warrant to the Sandiganbayan.

The anti-graft court, however, had yet to issue an order of custody, commitment, and detention for Enrile and others with warrants of arrest. Enrile’s former chief of staff Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, who surrendered to the Sandiganbayan on Friday, is currently detained at the court. No commitment order has been issued for her as well.

Until the commitment order is issued, Enrile remains under the custody of the PNP CIDG, which means any request to leave the camp for medical procedures is approved by the police, and not the court.

His camp has used this to their advantage.

On Saturday, July 5, Enrile left the police camp for a scheduled eye injection at the Asian Eye Institute. Sindac said Enrile has another check-up scheduled on July 12.

Sindac defended the necessity of Enrile’s visit to the eye center, saying it was a “very particular, very specific” procedure. “[The PNP hospital] can meet at least the basic medical needs. In this case, it’s post-operative treatment… Kailangan doon isagawa dahil siguro, as with any practice of medicine, kung saan nagsimula ang k’wento, doon dapat more or less magpatuloy,” Sindac told reporters.

(The procedure needs to be done there because, as with any practice of medicine, you continue to receive treatment where you began.)

On Tuesday, July 8, Enrile is set to undergo a 2D echocardiogram doppler as recommended by the PNP’s cardiologist.

So far, Sindac said, the cost of his medicines and his eye treatment were shouldered by Enrile. He could not give a figure on the cost of hospital confinement itself.

List of allowed visitors

Accompanying Enrile inside an air-conditioned hospital room in Crame is his personal nurse. Although Sindac previously said Enrile’s personal nurse would not be allowed by his side, he said it was “not difficult to grant” Enrile’s request.

The nurse stays with him inside the hospital room, in tandem with the PNP’s own medical team.

But Enrile’s arrangements with the PNP thus far may change the moment the Sandiganbayan issues a commitment order – any movements outside the camp would have to be approved by the court.

Enrile has filed a motion before the Sandiganbayan to allow his continued hospital stay. In the same motion, Enrile asked the court to allow “temporary” visits to medical facilities outside the police camp. 

Visitors may only come by during hospital visiting hours – different from custodial center visiting hours which now follow the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s visiting hours.

Only 60 individuals are allowed to visit Enrile while under detention: 14 family members; 8 “VIPs” and senators, including a former president and a vice president; 9 members of his legal team; 9 Senate staff members; 8 doctors; 12 security personnel, personal staff, and personal nurse; and 1 “other” visitor.

The 90-year-old senator is accused of earning millions of pesos in kickbacks from his pork barrel funds that had been channelled to fake non-governmental organizations. Also accused in the pork barrel scam are fellow opposition senators Ramon Revilla Jr and Jinggoy Estrada, who are both detained at the PNP Custodial Center, also in the same camp. – Rappler.com