President Benigno Aquino III on Friday thanked the doctors of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for telling the true medical condition of his predecessor.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo kung nasabi ng doctor yan. Pasasalamat tayo. E di tutuo sila dun sa kanilang pangako na magsabi ng katotohanan,” Aquino said at a press briefing during the First National Media Conference on Climate Change in Legaspi, Albay.
During the hearing on the electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo at the Pasay City regional trial court, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mario Ver testified that the former president is fit to leave the hospital and could be treated as an outpatient.
House arrest
Also during Friday’s hearing, Mrs. Arroyo’s lawyers asked the court to place the former Philippine leader under house arrest due to her improving condition.
Asked on the matter, President Aquino said he will leave it for the court to decide,
“Prudence dictates that I should not comment on the matter... may term na sub judice. I might be construed as trying to influence the decision of the court,” he said.
The President added that the courts “are the ones empowered to decide where to incarcerate people that were ordered arrested.”
The Aquino administration has said that it will not object to any moves from Mrs. Arroyo’s camp for her hospital arrest.
St. Luke's Medical Center Mrs. Arroyo has been staying at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City since November 15, after immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) barred her from leaving the country to seek medical treatment abroad for her bone problem.
She was arrested on November 18, hours after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) filed an electoral sabotage case against her at the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112. On November 22, the trial court allowed Mrs. Arroyo to be placed under temporary hospital arrest.
On November 24, the court summoned three of her doctors to testify on her health condition. Those summoned were Ver; Dr. Juliet Cervantes, Mrs. Arroyo’s attending physician, and Dr. Roberto Mirasol, endocrinologist.
PNoy thanks Rep GMA's doctors for telling the truth The doctors were asked to explain Mrs. Arroyo’s medical condition to help the court decide on whether or not to allow the former President to be under hospital arrest until she has fully recovered.
Over the past weeks, Mrs. Arroyo’s camp insisted that she is suffering from life-threatening condition and should be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.
But Aquino responded by announcing that Mrs. Arroyo could just fly in medical experts from other countries to treat her here in the Philippines. — RSJ
