Court orders PNP to bring Enrile to PGH for medical tests

Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The police will have to bring Senator Juan Ponce Enrile to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for further medical tests on the mornings of August 11 and 12, the Sandiganbayan ordered on Thursday.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division directed the authorities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital (PNP-GH) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to transport Enrile to the state-run hospital “for the conduct of medical assessments” on Monday and Tuesday next week, both at 7:30 a.m.

The 90-year-old senator is currently held at the PNP-GH over his plunder and graft charges for allegedly misusing his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel.

But division clerk of court Dennis Pulma clarified that the court only ordered an outpatient procedure for Enrile, leaving to the doctors the decision as to whether the sickly senator needs to be confined there.

Pulma said the resolution was pursuant to the request of PGH medical director Doctor Jose Gonzales.

Gonzales also asked the court on Thursday to furnish PGH medical abstract and clinical summary of Enrile in Makati Medical Center, Asian Eye Institute and PNP-GH.

The court then issued an order directing authorities of the said medical institutions to give PGH certified true copies of Enrile’s medical records within three days.

Last July 9, the anti-graft court postponed Enrile’s petition for hospital arrest in Camp Crame and ordered PGH doctors to produce a medical report or recommendation on whether there is a need for the senator to be detained in a hospital.

After Gonzales provided a report, the court told the PGH on July 14 to conduct further medical tests on Enrile and come up with a report within 30 days.

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