QC court OKs hospital checkup for Andal Sr.

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City court handling the Maguindanao massacre trial yesterday allowed 74-year-old Andal Ampatuan Sr. to be examined in a hospital after he suffered chest and abdominal pains recently.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 granted the defense’s urgent motion seeking the hospitalization of Ampatuan.

But instead of allowing him to undergo a medical checkup at the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Solis-Reyes ordered Ampatuan be brought to the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital.

Ampatuan is detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig, together with most of the other accused in the massacre.

In his motion, J. Ricardo Moreño, lawyer for Ampatuan, claimed that his client has been suffering from chest and abdominal pains, in addition to apparent swelling of the body.

The Ampatuan patriarch underwent a medical checkup in his detention cell on Oct. 28 on orders of Superintendent Joel Bascos, chief medical dispenser at Camp Bagong Diwa.

“After the checkup, Bascos recommended that the accused should undergo further and thorough medical tests,” Ampatuan’s lawyer said.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Ampatuan should remain in detention.

Government prosecutors said doctors should instead go to Camp Bagong Diwa to examine him and take samples for laboratory tests.

“This way, the accused would avoid further physical strain by having to travel to and from the hospital and exposing himself to contagious diseases from other patients,” the prosecutors said.

They added they would not object if the specialists would recommend that Ampatuan be brought to a hospital for further medical checkup.

Solis-Reyes allowed Ampatuan to leave his detention cell, provided that the court is immediately given a copy of the medical abstract following the examination. She also ordered jail personnel to follow the rules in transporting the accused to the hospital.