DEVELOPS NEW BACK AILMENT
MANILA, FEBRUARY 12, 2012 (philstar) Former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo has developed a new ailment in her spine that requires therapy
twice a day and possible surgery in the near future, her husband disclosed
yesterday.
Former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, citing medical reports from the
Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), said doctors confirmed that Mrs. Arroyo
is suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, whose symptoms include pain and
numbness in the lower back and legs, caused by degenerative arthritis of the
spine.
The Pampanga congresswoman, who turns 65 in April, has been detained at the
VMMC since December after charges of electoral sabotage were filed against her.
She underwent three surgeries on her cervical spine last year at the St.
Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City due to compressed nerves on her neck bones.
The last two operations were meant to correct the first one that installed
metal screws on her neck.
Mr. Arroyo said doctors Antonio Sison and Ramon Cardenas, in their report
submitted to the Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) that is hearing her case,
affirmed that his wife was suffering from cervical spondylosis and lumbar spinal
stenosis.
He said Sison and Cardenas noted that while surgery is still being considered
to address her "lumbar spine stenosis, they could not do so at the moment
considering that she had undergone three major spine surgeries" last year.
"They (doctors) said Mrs. Arroyo is still not prepared 'physically and
emotionally' to undergo another spine procedure," he said.
He said at the moment, her doctors are recommending that she undergo
"extensive physical therapy with close supervision" that would be conducted
twice a day.
Mr. Arroyo said aside from the neck brace she is required to wear almost 24
hours a day, his wife is now asked to wear a stiff corset.
Her lawyer Benjamin Santos on Wednesday told the court that she is entitled
to special privileges befitting her stature as a former head of state and should
not be transferred to a regular jail.
Santos said that as former president and a "visible national symbol"
associated with the presidency, Arroyo is entitled to security and protection by
the state.
"As the case of former President Joseph Estrada clearly shows, the house
arrest or separate and alternative preventive detention of a former chief
executive is well justified and in full accordance with the equal protection
constitutional guarantee," Santos said.
Palace won't oppose court order
Malacañang will not oppose the court order that extended the detention of
Arroyo at the VMMC due to her condition and stature.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had dropped its motion to transfer
Arroyo from VMMC to a regular jail after doctors testified that the patient
still needs close supervision for her therapy.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Arroyo could continue to stay in
hospital based on the medical opinion of her attending physician and with due
accord to her position as former president.
Lacierda and other Palace officials have been saying the issues involving the
former president would be up to the Comelec as petitioner to handle and for the
Pasay City court to decide.
"We will not insist on the transfer, provided a regular medical report is
submitted to the court," Comelec lead prosecutor Esmeralda Ladra said.
The Comelec lawyer made the manifestation after defense counsel Santos asked
for clarification of a press statement made by Comelec that they are no longer
pursuing the transfer of the former president.
"We want to know if the Comelec is withdrawing its motion," Santos said.
Ladra clarified that they are leaving it up to the court to decide on the
motion but as far as they are concerned they are no longer interested in
pursuing the issue.
Pasay RTC Branch 112 Judge Jesus Mupas ordered the prosecution and the
defense to submit their respective memorandum on the issue.
Santos reiterated their earlier motion for the house arrest of Arroyo, adding
that the request cannot be considered special treatment.
Arraignment postponed
Meanwhile, the Pasay RTC Branch 112 postponed yesterday the arraignment of
Arroyo pending the resolution of pending issues filed by the accused who is
facing separate electoral sabotage cases in relation to the 2007 elections.
The same court also postponed last Monday the arraignment of former Comelec
chairman Benjamin Abalos for a separate electoral sabotage case.
Judge Mupas reset Arroyo's arraignment from Feb. 20 to March 19, while
Abalos, who supposed to be arraigned last Monday, was reset to March 26.
Arroyo was charged for the alleged cheating in the elections in Maguindanao
in 2007 while Abalos was accused of involvement in the poll fraud in elections
in South Cotabato also in 2007.
Arroyo and her co-accused former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and
former election officer Lintang Bedol have filed motions for the judicial
determination and motion for the dismissal of the case.
At yesterday's hearing a lawyer of Ampatuan told Mupas that they are seeking
the postponement of the arraignment because of a pending appeal before the
Supreme Court questioning the legality of the electoral sabotage charges filed
against the former governor.
Comelec prosecutor Ladra did not oppose the motion, saying that they want all
the accused to be arraigned together.
The arraignment of Abalos was postponed after his lawyers filed a similar
motion to dismiss the 11 counts of electoral sabotage.
Abalos' lawyer filed last week another motion to quash the charges, asking
the court to junk the electoral sabotage case against the former Comelec
chairman on the grounds that the case should be placed under the jurisdiction of
the Sandiganbayan.
The lawyers of Abalos also filed a motion to set a trial date for the bail
petition of the accused because the evidence is weak.
Comelec lawyers objected to the motions filed by Abalos, saying that there
were too many motions filed and that they were inconsistent with one another.
But Abalos' lawyers denied this.
"As an accused, former Abalos has every right to avail of all the legal
remedies allowed by law and the rules of procedure. That is part of due
process," said Brigido Dulay, counsel of Abalos.
He said the Pasay RTC could hear and decide on the bail petition of Abalos
whatever its ruling on their request to dismiss.
"If the Pasay RTC does not dismiss the case, then the bail hearing continues.
If it dismisses the electoral sabotage case then the bail hearing will be
terminated. So there is no inconsistency," Dulay explained. With Perseus Echeminada, Aurea Calica
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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