PGH told to examine Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Andal Ampatuan Sr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The judge hearing the Maguindanao massacre case on Wednesday ordered the head of the Philippine General Hospital’s pulmonology section to determine if former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. has a life-threatening medical condition.

Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes ordered Dr. Ma. Bella Siasoco to examine Andal Sr. based on the recommendation of prosecutors after the accused was brought to the AFP Medical Center V. Luna General Hospital (AFPMC) in Quezon City after he vomited blood.

After the PGH pulmonology section head examines Andal Sr., the prosecution has been given 24 hours to file its comment  on a defense motion for the court to allow Andal Sr. to remain at the AFPMC.

Independent doctor

Private prosecutors Harry Roque and Nena Santos both told the court that an “independent government doctor” should examine Andal Sr. to determine if he is really sick.

Instead of opposing, defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun joined the prosecutors in asking the court to have the PGH doctor examine his client, who was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at the Pasay Regional Trial Court for election sabotage.

Andal Sr.’s coaccused in the case—former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Bejamin Abalos—have already been arraigned.

“We did not oppose the motion because he is not making this up. (Andal Sr.’s) eyes were really red,” said Fortun, adding that his client was still in the intensive care unit (ICU).

He said doctors have said that Andal Sr. was suffering from pneumonia, diabetes, a liver ailment and a heart condition.

Fortun, who is also representing the former Maguindanao governor in the election sabotage case, said he would seek the deferment of his client’s arraignment at the Pasay court until Andal Sr. was ready.

Unable to speak

“We are also providing the court with his medical bulletins. He can’t even speak. When I visited him, he was just nodding at us,” Fortun said.

“He has had his dextrose and a mechanical respirator attached to him. His doctors said (as of Tuesday night) that his condition was still guarded,” the lawyer added.

However, private prosecutor Santos was not convinced and insisted that Siasoco examine Ampatuan’s condition.

“The timing of his hospitalization is suspect. He is supposed to be arraigned (Thursday) for the elections sabotage case. We would like to have an independent doctor examine him,” Santos said.

Also at the hearing Wednesday, defense lawyers and prosecutors clashed anew about the witnesses the prosecution wanted to present.

To settle the conflict, Judge Reyes held a case management conference and both sides agreed that out of the list of 26 witnesses the prosecution wanted to present on the bail applications of the accused, five could readily testify in court.

The five witnesses included Lieutenant General Raymundo Ferrer, the general who implemented martial law in Maguindanao after the massacre on Nov. 23, 2009.

The others in the list of 26 remaining witnesses could not testify as defense lawyers had pending petitions either before the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court seeking to bar their testimony.

The trial at the Quezon City court will resume next Wednesday.

Originally posted at 05:31 pm | Wednesday, March 14,  2012