Pasay court summons Arroyo doctors

MANILA, Philippines—A Pasay City court issued subpoenas Thursday to three doctors of the St. Luke’s Medical Center attending to former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 directed Arroyo’s doctors—Juliet Gopez-Cervantes, Mario Ver, and Roberto Mirasol—to appear in court Friday to testify on the medical condition of the former president, who now represents Pampanga in the House of Representatives.

Clerk of court Joel Pelicano told the Inquirer that Judge Jesus Mupas issued the subpoenas for the three doctors before noon Thursday in response to a motion filed by Maria Juana Valeza, chief of the Commission on Elections’ investigation and prosecution division.

He said that the subpoenas had been served on the  doctors at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

The Comelec legal division chief  filed on Wednesday the agency’s comment on Arroyo’s temporary hospital arrest and submitted an omnibus motion for determination of the accused’s medical condition and for the issuance of subpoenas.

“They (doctors) are ordered to appear before, submit documents to and testify in court as to the medical condition of Mrs. Arroyo tomorrow (Friday) morning,” Pelicano said.

He said the motion for the issuance of a hold departure order by the court has been reduced to a minor issue for resolution with four other motions.

“Unless the Comelec pursues the issuance of the HDO, the issue could be considered a minor one,” Pelicano said.

He said five issues were up for resolution at Friday’s hearing: the urgent omnibus motion on the HDO; an urgent motion to suspend proceedings, based on a pending petition filed in the Supreme Court; an omnibus motion for determination of accused’s medical condition; a motion to quash; and an extremely urgent motion to place Arroyo under hospital arrest.