Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Detained Senator Ramon “Bong” Revila on Thursday asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to undergo a medical checkup for numerous ailments.
In a three page motion, Revilla asked the court to allow him to be checked at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City “at the soonest possible time as may be permitted by the Honorable Court.”
Revilla listed several illnesses, including a migraine-related disease and weakening of the bones in his lower back and legs, as well as hypertension and excess cholesterol in the blood as reasons for the need for a checkup.
“Senator Revilla moves for permission to be allowed to undergo medical check up and some diagnostic tests by reason of his being diagnosed to have the following medical problems: Migraine headache in status Migrainous; Lumbo-Sacral Radiculopathy secondary to Spondylosis; Hypertension not well controlled; Dsylipidemia,” the motion said.
Revilla’s lawyers also attached a medical certificate from the detained senator’s doctor, Ma. Cristina Macrohon-Valdez.
“This is to verify they I have seen and examined Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.,” the medical certificate dated October 1 said.
Macrohon-Valdez said Revilla needs to undergo four medical exams, including the following:
MRI-MRA of the Brain with gadolinium contrast
Plain lumbosacral MRI
Cardinal work-up
Blood chemistry
The senator requested that the medical exams be conducted at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig since according to his lawyer, Atty. Joel Bodegon, the PNP General Hospital has no adequate equipment to perform the said medical tests.
Revilla is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center over allegations of graft and plunder. The senator allegedly conspired with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles to siphon off millions in public funds by diverting his pork barrel to Napoles’s bogus NGOs. (MNS)