Rev. Schuller Visits Marcos, Expects Him to Die Soon

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller has visited hospitalized former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos twice in recent days and expects him to die soon, it was reported Saturday.

Schuller visited Marcos at St. Francis Medical Center briefly Friday and said he expects the ousted leader “to die very soon, maybe within 24 hours,” the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported.

“The deterioration that has set in since I last saw Ferdinand is shocking, just shocking,” Schuller said. “I could hardly recognize him from when I last saw him. He is coming to the end of his life.”

On Thursday, federal prosecutors in New York agreed Marcos is too sick to stand trial in a $345-million fraud suit.

Marcos, 71, has been in guarded condition in the intensive-care unit at the hospital for the past month, and there is no change in his condition, a spokeswoman said Saturday. Marcos was admitted in January with pneumonia.

He has been bleeding internally and has lost 4 pints of blood since Tuesday, Marcos’ wife, Imelda, told the newspaper. He has been receiving continuous transfusions since then, she said. Doctors have spent 2 days trying to find the source of the bleeding, a Marcos aide said.

Schuller, who first visited Marcos 11 days ago, said he prayed for the former leader and read from Scriptures during both visits.

“I think he may have recognized me (Friday), but he didn’t show the same signs he did the first time. Last week I tried to boost his fighting spirit, and he was able to respond to it. I didn’t try to make the effort this time,” Schuller said.

The Marcoses first watched Schuller’s “The Hour of Power” television program as residents of Malacanang Palace in Manila, Imelda Marcos said.

Marcos, Imelda Marcos and seven associates were initially charged in October with stealing $103 million from the Philippine treasury and then defrauding U.S. banks of $165 million. On March 9, prosecutors charged them with illegally obtaining another $77 million.

Prosecutors acceded to Marcos’ request for a medical severance in the case but asked U.S. District Judge John Keenan to let the indictment stand in case he recovers.

No trial date has been set.