GMA fit to leave hospital

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — The orthopedic spine surgeon of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo told the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Friday that she is now fit to leave the hospital as she is already recovering.

Testifying before Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay RTC Branch 112, Dr. Mario Ver said Mrs. Arroyo is now “fit to be treated as an outpatient” and is already undergoing “conservative treatment” for her backache.

Ver added that the former President is now only suffering a minor lower back pain.

With this new development, the lawyers of the former Chief Executive, who is charged with electoral sabotage, sought the permission of the court to place her under house arrest.

Lawyer Maria Juana Valeza, chief of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Investigation and Prosecution Division, had initially asked the court to move Mrs. Arroyo to a government-run hospital like the Philippine General Hospital.

But upon hearing Ver’s testimony, the Comelec, which filed the poll fraud charges, moved that the former President be detained at the Southern Police District (SPD) detention cell.

The SPD had earlier prepared one of its offices as detention facility for Mrs. Arroyo so she will be isolated from other detainees.

Should Mrs. Arroyo be detained at the SPD, Senior Superintendent Joel Napoleon M. Coronel, the designated police spokesman on the case of the former Chief Executive, said at least 30 policemen will serve as her security.

Mupas did not rule on both motions of the prosecution and defense panels. Instead, Mupas ordered the defense lawyers to submit within five days or until November 29 their motion for house arrest.

Prosecution lawyers were likewise ordered by Mupas to submit within the same period their comment on Arroyo’s move for house arrest.

President Benigno S. Aquino III said he will not influence the decision of the court should the Pasay RTC decide on the motion of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for a house arrest.

Arroyo’s legal counsels, led by Jose Flaminiano, had initially opposed placing the former Chief Executive’s doctors at the witness stand, saying their testimony is already moot and academic as the defense is now moving of her house arrest instead of a hospital arrest.

However, Ver was eventually called to testify on the medical condition of Mrs. Arroyo.

Clerk of court lawyer Joel Pelicano said the court will inspect on Monday the SPD detention cell prepared for Mrs. Arroyo to determine if the facility is well secured by the police and check on its facilities to make sure she will be safe and secured, noting that she was a former President and still a member of the House of Representatives representing the second district of Pampanga.

Pelicano also said the court may resolve the issue on where Mrs. Arroyo will be committed within two weeks or anytime in December.

While the court awaits the motions of both panels, Mrs. Arroyo’s colleagues from the progressive bloc in the House opposed any special treatment for the former leader.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño said the camp of the former leader has been “deceiving the people and the court on her true state of health” after her doctors testified that Mrs. Arroyo is fit to leave the hospital.

“She’s as healthy as a horse and should be immediately put behind bars in a regular jail. A house arrest at this time is unjust and constitutes special treatment,” Casino said.

Migrante-Middle East John Monterona said that with the withdrawal of the hospital arrest bid, it is now clear that Mrs. Arroyo’s spokespersons lied on her medical condition. (With reports from Madel R. Sabater, Francis T. Wakefield, Rio Rose Ribaya, and Samuel P. Medenilla)

source: mb.com.ph