Marantan undergoes surgery to close arm wound

A member of the NBI fornensic team examines one of the bullet riddled SUV at the Municipal Police Station in Atimonan, Quezon where 13 people were killed in an alleged ‘shootout’ with police and military at a checkpoint last January 6.INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines—The ground commander of the controversial Atimonan, Quezon, shooting underwent a minor surgery to close the wound on his left arm on Wednesday, an official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

Supt. Hansel Marantan went through a debridement operation to help him heal the gunshot wound on his left arm, which he sustained during a supposed shootout with alleged members of a gun-for-hire syndicate, according to Chief Supt. Ma. Angela Vidal, chief of the PNP Health Service.

Vidal said the police official remained wheelchair-bound due to the bullet wounds on both his legs.

“For some reasons, the wound on his left arm was healing rather very slowly. He is also complaining about the numbness and weakness on his pinkie finger,” Vidal told reporters.

“It could be because of infection or his blood sugar may be high,” she added.

She said Marantan’s father accompanied him during the hour-long operation done at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame.

Vidal disclosed that the police official might be brought to the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City in the next few days to undergo another medical procedure.

She said Marantan’s attending physician, Supt. Martin Sison, had advised him to undergo electromyogram and nerve conduction velocity to determine if the bullet, which hit his left arm had damaged his vein.

“We want to see what could be causing the weakness and numbness in his left hand. But we don’t have the equipment for that at the PNP hospital,” she said.

Vidal said Marantan has been staying in a 30-square-meter private ward at the PNP hospital. She said two policemen were assigned to guard him.

She said Marantan looked “fine” when she saw him last week. “He also appears to be contemplating on some things,” she added.