Detained Ampatuan kin asks to go to hospital

Coffins are lined up at the National Press Club in Manila, symbolizing the death of 58 victims of the Maguindanao massacre on Nov. 23, 2009. Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr., detained son-in-law of Ampatuan clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., has asked a Quezon City court to allow him to be examined in a government hospital, saying he has been experiencing frequent fatigue, weakness and dizziness. JAMIE ELONA/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—A detained son-in-law of Ampatuan clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. has asked a Quezon City court to allow him to be examined in a government hospital, saying that he has been experiencing frequent fatigue, weakness and dizziness.

Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr., a diabetic, attributed his failing health to his “long and unjustified detention.” He has been in jail for the past three years.

In a two-page urgent motion, the accused asked that he be allowed to undergo a complete checkup by government doctors to avoid serious complications that could endanger his health.

Escorted checkup

“Datu Tato is more than willing to be escorted and guarded during the duration of his medical checkup as the court may deem appropriate,” the pleading filed Friday read.

The accused is one of 195 charged in a conspiracy to massacre 58 people in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009.

In his appeal to Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 221, Ampatuan asked that he be examined at the Philippine General Hospital or any other government hospital.

Judicial process

He said through lawyer Emmanuel Brotarlo that he had no intention of evading the judicial process in filing the pleading, adding that he still enjoyed the constitutional right to presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Earlier, the court set Akmad’s arraignment on June 26 at the Quezon City Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, along with Anwar Ampatuan Sr. and Sajid Islam Ampatuan.