Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante has been diagnosed with a sleeping disorder and will need to stay longer at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City for further tests, a hospital spokeswoman said Friday.

Spokeswoman Marilen Lagniton said Bolante is positive for obstructive sleep apnea, which is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.

She said Bolante will need to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam. "If there are no significant findings this may be the last of the series of tests," she said  but declined to give a discharge date for the patient.

 She said Bolante's blood pressure is continously fluctuating and is being constantly monitored.

Results of Bolante's conventional coronary angiogram also showed a mild obstruction or narrowing of the calcified segments of his coronary arteries. Lagniton said the obstruction does not necessitate surgery.

She said a suspicious nodule in the adrenal gland seen in Bolante's CT scan needs further investigation since the former agriculture official has a history of cancer in his family.

She said Bolante's occasional chest discomfort can perhaps be attributed mainly to multiple stomach ulcers and inflammation or swelling of his esophagus and stomach.

Senate doctors earlier examined Bolante at St. Luke's Medical Center and failed to find any serious ailment that would bar him from appearing before the Senate. Bolante is facing possible arrest for snubbing a Senate investigation on the P728 million fertilizer fund scam issue.

The Second Division of the Court of Appeals, meanwhile, directed the Senate Sergeant at Arms to show cause within five days from receipt of the resolution why Bolante's habeas corpus petition should not be granted.

The court also ordered Bolante to secure a certification from the attending physician within five days if he can be brought out of the hospital without danger to his health.

Bolante arrived in the Philippines on October 28 after two years in US immigration jails. His appeal for asylum was repeatedly denied by US immigration and appellate courts, prompting authorities to order his deportation after a two-year battle.

The former agriculture official was arrested upon arrival at the Los Angeles International Airport due to a canceled US tourist visa.