Erap Estrada sedated, now in ICU due to COVID-19

Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was sedated and moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) after being hospitalized due to COVID-19, his son ex-Senator Jinggoy Estrada, announced on Facebook on Sunday.

“While he needed to be placed on high flow oxygen support, we are thankful that there has been no need to put him on a ventilator. However, he is being sedated to lessen his anxiety which may affect his heart and aggravate his condition. Thus, he has been moved to the ICU for closer observation,” Jinggoy said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He added that Erap Estrada was in a “stable but guarded condition.”

Last week, Jinggoy confirmed that the former celebrity and Philippine president acquired COVID-19 and was rushed to the hospital.

“Sa aking mga kababayan, Nais ko pong ipaalam sa inyo na ang aking ama, na si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, ay isinugod namin sa ospital kagabi sa kadahilanan ng panghihina ng kanyang katawan,” Jinggoy said in a Facebook post.

ADVERTISEMENT

[To my countrymen, I just want to inform you that my father, former President Joseph Estrada, was rushed to the hospital last night since he was getting weak.]

Erap Estrada sedated, now in ICU due to COVID-19

“Na-diagnose na po siya na positibo sa covid 19,” he added.

(He was diagnosed to be positive for COVID-19.)

ADVERTISEMENT

Erap Estrada tested positive for COVID-19 on March 28.

“Unang una, mahigpit naming sinasabi sa kanya na senior citizen siya, madaling mahawa. Siguro one of his visitors merong may COVID, nahawa, ‘di rin natin alam,” he said.

(First of all, we told him [not to go out] since he is a senior citizen and is vulnerable and may get infected. Probably one of his visitors had COVID-19 and he got infected. We don’t know.)

In 2007, Estrada was sentenced by a special division of the Sandiganbayan to reclusión Perpetua for the plunder of $80 million from the government but was later granted a pardon by President and his former deputy Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Erap Estrada ran for president again in the 2010 presidential election but was defeated by Senator Benigno Aquino III by a wide margin. He later served as Mayor of Manila for two terms, from 2013 to 2019.