Ampatuan patriarch rushed to hospital

MANILA. Philippines—One of the principal accused in the Maguindanao massacre case was rushed to the hospital Friday afternoon, the Philippine National Police said.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the National Capital Region Police Office received a call from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology saying that former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. was rushed to the Taguig Pateros Hospital after “vomiting blood” around 12:30 a.m.

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology chief Director Rosendo Dial said that Ampatuan had been sick with hypertension, diabetes and skin disease since his detention at the Quezon City jail annex in Camp Bagong Diwa in December 2009.

“Doon lang sya nagrerecover sa BJMP infirmary namin,” he said.

Ampatuan was also suffering from fever and difficulty in breathing when he vomited blood this morning prompting his BJMP doctor to send him to the hospital for “emergency checkup and laboratory exam,” he said.

“Siguro since doctor namin ang nagdecide, ibigsabihin there is something wrong [with his] condition,” he said.

He said the court handling the case of the Maguindanao massacre and both prosecution and defense have been informed of the incident.

Cruz earlier said five security officers were sent to the hospital for the security of Ampatuan.

Ampatuan has been in jail since 2009, along with his son, Ampatuan Jr. and several other members of the Ampatuan clan implicated in the Maguindanao massacre case where 58 people, including 32 journalists, were killed.