‘IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT’
PASTOR Apollo Quiboloy on Thursday last week complained of chest discomfort inside his cell at the maximum-security Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame prompting his custodians to take him to the government-run Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City for a thorough medical checkup, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean S. Fajardo said yesterday.
According to the official, Quiboloy was subjected to a medical examination by doctors from the PNP General Hospital on November 7 after he complained of chest discomfort, the first he made after being arrested last September 8 by the police and sent to a solitary cell where wine, women, cellphone and other gadgets are banned.
Initial findings by the PNP doctors showed that Quiboloy was suffering from irregular heartbeat which may be considered as “life-threatening” prompting them to recommend a more thorough medical checkup for the founder of the Davao City-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ as it could lead to a more serious case, said Brig. Gen. Fajardo.
Last Friday, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 159 which is handling the human trafficking cases filed against Quiboloy and five co-accused ordered the PNP Headquarters Support Service to bring the latter to the hospital and return him to his cell by Monday.
Heavily-armed PNP-HSS guards escorted the KOJC founder to the Q.C. hospital to undergo a series of checkups including a 2D Echo examination and blood chemistry test.
However, around 11 a.m. on Monday, the same court e-mailed another order to the PNP-HSS extending Quiboloy’s medical furlough not later than 5 p.m. of November 16 in order for him to have a complete medical checkup at the Philippine Heart Center, explained Brig. Gen. Fajardo.
The official said the PNP will abide by the court order to give way to the conduct of a thorough medical examination on Quiboloy as petitioned by his lawyers last Friday.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said that it was not the first time that Quiboloy’s lawyers have filed a petition for “hospital arrest.” However, he said that during his first medical checkup conducted by PNP doctors, it was found out that he was not suffering from any “life-threatening condition” at that time prompting the court to junk the petition.
The PNP spokesperson said last Thursday, PNP doctors decided to recommend that Quiboloy be subjected to another government medical facility with complete equipment.
“Prudence dictates on the part of the PNPGH to subject him to further test. Initially, his lawyers wanted him taken to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center but the court ruled that he be brought to the Philippine Heart Center,” said Fajardo.
Prior to that, she said that Quiboloy was allowed to have a regular 8 to 10 a.m. “sunning time” outside his cell and is being regularly visited by his lawyers, personal physicians and spiritual advisers.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said since his arrest last September 8, Quiboloy’s condition was deemed ok as proven by the regular checkup he was getting from PNP doctors.
“We don’t want to speculate on what triggered his condition. Let us wait for the result of the medical examinations,” she said.
The Pasig City RTC Branch 159 has taken cognizance of the human trafficking cases filed against Quiboloy and his fellow KOJC officials while the Quezon City RTC Branch 106 handles the child sexual abuse case hurled on the detained suspects.
