Enrile's medical woes convinced SC to admit bail

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the "immediate release" of detained Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, noting that the accused's petition for certiorari provides enough reason for the admission to bail.

In the 17-page decision made public on Thursday and penned by Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, the high court set aside the resolution of the Sandiganbayan, saying the anti-graft court "arbitrarily ignored the objective of bail to ensure the appearance of the accused during trial" and "unwarrantedly disregarded the clear showing of the fragile health and advanced age of Enrile."

"The Sandiganbayan gravely abused its discretion in denying Enrile's motion to fix bail," the ruling stated. "Grave abuse of discretion, as ground for the issuance fo the writ for certiorari, connotes whimsical and capricious exercise of judgment as is equivalent to excess, or lack of jurisdiction."

The court said the petition was granted due to humanitarian consideration following the release of the findings of the doctor of the Philippine General Hospital indicating Enrile’s delicate medical condition.

Bersamin cited the testimony of PGH Director Jose Gonzales who classified Enrile as a “geriatric patient."

Gonzales said Enrile was suffering from chronic hypertension with fluctuating blood pressure levels, diffuse atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; irregular heartbeat; asthma cardio obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome; and eye’s muscular degeneration.

The doctor recommended that Enrile's condition be properly addressed by expert doctors since his ailments can lead to complications in the brain and heart, and can also possibly cause stroke.

The high court on Thursday released its 17-page decision stating Enrile was allowed to post P1 million bail for his provisional liberty.

"The Court thus balances the scales of justice by protecting the interest of the People through ensuring his personal appearance at the trial, and at the same time realizing for him the guarantees of due process as well as to be presumed innocent until proven guilty," the decision stated.

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