Ailing Ampatuan Sr. out of hospital, back in jail

MANILA, Philippines—Maguindanao massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr. is back in jail after a Quezon City court ordered his discharge from a military hospital where he was confined for two weeks.

The 70-year-old former Maguindanao governor was brought back to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City from the AFP Medical Center yesterday on orders of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

Upon his discharge from the military hospital, Ampatuan was brought to the Philippine Heart Center for a cardiovascular exam and CT scan.

According to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology director Rosendo Dial, Ampatuan will be staying in a clinic at the Quezon City Jail Annex (QCJA) building in Camp Bagong Diwa where he will undergo observation for the next few days.

He will be eventually brought back to his detention cell on the building’s fourth floor, the jail official said.

In its order, the court noted that an examination of Ampatuan’s medical records show that he responded well to the treatment at the military hospital. His medical condition has, in fact, improved since he was first brought to the hospital on March 9.

“The court views that there is no longer a need for the accused to be transferred to the Philippine Heart Center as his medical condition has apparently been adequately taken care of,” the court said.

Ampatuan was released from the QCJA for two weeks after he vomited blood and had difficulty breathing.

He was first rushed to the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital on March 9 before being transferred to AFP Medical Center.

Ampatuan’s lawyers had asked the court to let him be confined at the Philippine Heart Center, as he was suffering from pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and various heart and liver ailments.

A Philippine General Hospital (PGH) doctor who checked on Ampatuan said his pulmonary state was not critical and he can be detached from the mechanical ventilator that assisted him in breathing.

This prompted the prosecution to ask the court to deny Ampatuan’s urgent motions for continued confinement, citing the improvement in his health.

In the order, the court denied Ampatuan’s pleadings after the defense lawyers said they will not contest the PGH doctor’s findings and recommendations for their client to undergo a CT scan.