Palace: Bring Zaldy Ampatuan back to jail

MANILA, Philippines—Zaldy Ampatuan should have been brought back to his jail cell on Wednesday night after he went to the Philippine Heart Center for a check-up that the court earlier allowed, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the remark after the suspended Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao governor and one of the prime suspects in the Maguindanao massacre spent the night at the state-run hospital after the court gave him a pass for the hospital check-up

“We wanted Zaldy Ampatuan to be brought back to Crame. Clearly, that’s what should have been done,” Lacierda said.

He said the Aquino administration also saw no reason to allow Ampatuan to be placed under hospital arrest and would strongly oppose moves by the defense lawyers to have Ampatuan under “hospital arrest.”

“We’ll inform (Interior) Secretary (Jesse) Robredo and I’m sure he will ask the BJMP to explain their action,” Lacierda said in an early afternoon news briefing in Malacañang.

“If the explanation is not satisfactory, then the DILG will provide the appropriate action,” he added.

Critics of Ampatuan’s confinement at the hospital said his jail guards should have returned him to his detention cell instead of allowing him to spend the night at the hospital supposedly on doctor’s advice.

Lacierda said Ampatuan should first justify longer confinement at the hospital.

“We don’t see any reason why he should be placed under hospital arrest,” Lacierda said.

“We will ask the prosecutors to file the strongest possible opposition,” he added.