Court OKs massacre suspect’s checkup at PGH

A Quezon City court hearing the 2009 Maguindanao massacre case has approved the request of one of the accused, a grandson of alleged mastermind Andal Ampatuan Sr., to leave detention and have his leg examined in a hospital.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes allowed Anwar “Datu Ipi” Ampatuan Jr. to be brought to Philippine General Hospital for a checkup to be conducted by Dr. Ibet Marie Sih.

The young Ampatuan had been complaining that he could not walk due to his swollen left leg, which he said he injured in an explosion in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, in March 2012.

But his claim was disputed by state prosecutors, who said the accused could already walk as of September last year.

They also argued that the suspect’s complaints were not backed by a complete and detailed medical abstract to merit an out-patient exam.

But the court noted that the accused had also experienced severe back pains for which he was allowed to seek treatment at PGH in January.

Records showed that Datu Ipi was also brought to the state-run hospital on Feb. 1 and 5.  Julie M. Aurelio