GMA undergoes surgery today

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to undergo surgery this morning to repair a damaged cervical spine, her doctors at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) said yesterday. 

Arroyo’s personal physician Juliet Gopez-Cervantes and orthopedic surgeon Mario Ver said the four to five-hour surgery will start at 7 a.m., to relieve the pressure on a portion of her spinal cord and replace pieces of her backbone with titanium implants. 

Arroyo and members of her family met with SLMC director Dr. Joven Cuanang, Cervantes, Ver and other medical personnel for over two hours yesterday, and reached the decision to push through with what her doctors said was a “high-risk” operation.

“The (damaged) cervical spine has really given her problems particularly and most especially the pain compounded with her progressive neurologic deficit,” Cervantes told reporters. 

“We want to ask for your prayers because this is one of the most difficult procedures because the nerves involved have major functions in the movement and sensation of the arms as well as the pattern of breathing as well as other organs that might be touched and displaced a bit during actual procedure,” she said. 

She said Arroyo has been undergoing minor therapy and taking muscle relaxant pills since her hospital confinement on Monday.

When asked about reports from visitors of paralysis hitting Arroyo, Cervantes said there were “some weakness in the shoulder power, wrist and finger power.”

Ver, who will lead a team of at least 10 doctors in surgery, said Arroyo’s disease (multi-level cervical spondylosis) has “deteriorated significantly.” But he said he expects Arroyo to be “up and about” in 10 days if all goes well. 

He said he has been doing the procedure since 1996 and all surgeries were successful. 

“Of course there are anesthetic risks, infection, the structure in there inherent... in spine surgery that is the more delicate area to operate,” Ver said. 

With Arroyo in the hospital are her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and their children--Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo, Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, and Luli Arroyo-Bernas

Doctors restricted visitors and the few that managed to enter her suite —Candaba Mayor Gerry Pelayo and lawyer Raul Lambino —were asked to wear surgical masks. Two busloads of local officials in Pampanga also went to the SLMC but were not allowed to see her. 

“She (Arroyo) prayed and stayed throughout the surgery of my wife (two years ago). How can you repay that act of kindness?” Pelayo told reporters in explaining his almost daily visits. 

He said Arroyo was instrumental in helping secure a delicate stem cell treatment for his wife, who is suffering from Lou Gehrig disease.

‘GMA being used as punching bag’

The lawyer of Arroyo claimed Malacañang is using his client as a “punching bag” to cover up for the alleged failures of President Aquino.

At the weekly forum Balitaan sa Aloha Hotel Lambino said the Palace communications group, public relations group and image builders of Aquino believe that “everything they are going to say will be accepted by our people, and they will not go on to look further on the lackluster or no performance of the present administration.”

“Initially, when he (Aquino) started this government last year, he was positive 87 percent (approval rating) based on the survey, but the latest rating last month showed he got only 45 percent rating, which is a decrease of 42 percent in just a matter of one year,” Lambino said.

Lambino said Arroyo has not only been tried, but also already convicted by publicity. He maintained that Arroyo’s critics do not have solid evidence about her involvement in various anomalies during her administration.

“They have already been talking about evidence against Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), but they still cannot come up with evidence to prove that Arroyo was involved here,” Lambino said.

He said Arroyo can no longer expect fair justice, noting that no less than the President and his closest advisers are talking about the cases to be filed against the former president.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general Renato Reyes meanwhile said they are resolved to pursue the accountability of the past administration.

“In fact, our allied groups have already filed two plunder cases and the human rights victims have also filed the civil case before the Quezon City court in relation to the Morong 43 and the extra judicial killings of members of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines,” Reyes said.

Reyes also denied that their filing of charges against Arroyo is only propaganda.

He said they also want a closure of allegations of election fraud, adding they could present enough evidence to support allegations of massive cheating in the 2004 elections. - Sandy Araneta