Marcos Suffers Relapse but Is Listed as Stable

Former Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos was in critical but stable condition Saturday after suffering a relapse in his bout with pneumonia and bronchial asthma, hospital officials said.

Marcos, 71, had been in guarded condition Friday, but began running a fever, said Norma Kop, a spokeswoman for St. Francis Medical Center, where Marcos has been confined since Jan. 19.

Marcos remained in the hospital’s intensive care unit and was still breathing with the aid of a respirator, according to a statement issued Saturday morning.

‘There Is Infection Again’

His worsened condition “means there is infection again,” said Gemmo Trinidad, a Marcos family spokesman. “I would suspect it’s the lungs because of the tracheotomy.”

A tracheotomy, a surgical incision in the trachea to create an artificial breathing hole, was done Feb. 1 to relieve a buildup of fluid in Marcos’ lungs.

The exiled leader and his wife, Imelda, have lived in Honolulu since his ouster from power in February, 1986.

The Marcoses are under U.S. indictment for allegedly stealing more than $100 million from their homeland and stashing much of the money in the United States.

Defense lawyers for Marcos asked a federal judge in New York on Friday to remove the former president from a racketeering case for medical reasons.

Federal prosecutors opposed the move, saying it was too soon to make a final prognosis of Marcos’ chances for recovery.

A continuation of a hearing by U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan to determine whether Marcos is well enough to be arraigned in Honolulu is scheduled for March 6.