Brillantes remains in hospital

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes remained in hospital yesterday but is in stable condition after he collapsed Wednesday night presumably due to gastro-intestinal problem.

Brillantes was meeting with some Comelec lawyers when he complained of stomach pain and then fainted inside his office at the Palacio del Governador in Intramuros, Manila at around 6:30 p.m.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Brillantes was “so far (found to have suffered from) stomach pains with dehydration due to fatigue, lack of sleep and stress.”

“He is stable and under family-imposed bed rest,” Jimenez told The STAR.

Jimenez denied that Brillantes was suffering from high blood pressure when he fainted.

A Comelec insider said Brillantes’ blood pressure was actually low when he was examined by the doctor.

“The initial concern was that it was a heart attack. But it was not. Before he fainted, he was already complaining of stomachache. He actually went to the comfort room thrice,” the source claimed.

The Comelec chief is both hypertensive and diabetic and had undergone two heart bypass operations.

The official was immediately rushed to the Manila Doctors’ Hospital but was eventually moved to Asian Hospital where his personal doctor is connected.