MANILA - Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board director Manuel Morato asked anew the Sandiganbayan to allow his motion for house arrest after acquiring “nosocomial” pneumonia, also called hospital-acquired pneumonia.

St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Dr. Adeliada Iboleon-Dy, Morato’s attending cardiologist, said the health of the 79-year-old former PCSO board member has been aggravated following an open heart surgery and triple bypass on October 21, 2012.

"…(I)f this state continues, he will always be at high-risk for recurrent, hospital acquired infections. It is imperative that hopefully, after he is cleared with this bout of pneumonia, he may be allowed to go home, out of a hospital environment thus lowering the possibility of another infection," Dr. Dy said.

Morato has been under hospital arrest since October 4 after being indicted for the alleged plunder of P366 million of PCSO funds.

Lawyer Dante Diaz said Iboleon-Dy is willing to testify on Morato’s condition if required by the court.

Named in the plunder charges are former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former PCSO Board chairman Sergio O. Valencia, and former PCSO general manager Rosario C. Uriarte.

Also included are PCSO board directors Jose R. Taruc V; Raymundo T. Roquero and Ma. Fatima A. S. Valdes; PCSO budget officer Benigno B. Aguas; former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo A. Villar, and Nilda B. Plaras, former head of the COA-Intelligence Fund Unit.