Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expressed concern over what he described as a recurring pattern in which prominent personalities suddenly require hospital confinement after being cited in contempt or arrested in connection with criminal cases.

Speaking in a radio interview, Lacson said many ordinary Filipinos have noticed that influential individuals often develop medical conditions only after arrest warrants are issued.He cited illnesses such as hypertension, pneumonia, high cholesterol, back pain, and other health issues that allegedly emerge at the time of arrest.Lacson said this observation was the reason behind his recent social media post discussing the issue.

He pointed to the cases of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Senator Rodante Marcoleta, both of whom are facing plunder and graft charges.Bonoan surrendered to authorities in June and was later confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital after suffering hypertension.His doctors also reported that he has chronic kidney disease and severe coronary artery disease.Marcoleta, meanwhile, was taken to the same hospital after his arrest in July, reportedly due to chest pains and high blood pressure.GMA News said it sought comments from both Bonoan and Marcoleta, but neither had responded as of publication.

Beyond the medical issue, Lacson also questioned whether taxpayers are bearing the cost of hospitalising individuals who are not PNP personnel or qualified dependents.

He raised concerns that some police officers and their eligible dependents have allegedly been denied admission while non-qualified patients are accommodated.

Lacson said he intends to raise these concerns during the deliberations on the proposed 2027 budgets of the Philippine National Police and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to clarify hospital admission policies and determine who should shoulder the medical expenses of non-dependent patients.