Jinggoy in stable condition, says doctor

Former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada is already in stable condition, his physician said yesterday, a day after he was rushed to the Makati Medical Center (MMC) after suffering a heart attack .

In a telephone interview, Dr. Lorenzo Hocson said Estrada was subjected to a series of tests the other night by cardiologist Dr. Roberto Anastacio.

"Dr. Anastacio has taken over as of last night. So far, he (Jinggoy) is stable. But we are still awaiting the results of the medical examinations," Hocson said.

Jinggoy was transferred to the MMC from the state-run Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City after he complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing.

Jinggoy and his father, ousted President Joseph Estrada, have been confined at the VMMC since May pending resolution of the graft charges against them, including the capital offense of plunder, considered a landmark case in Philippine jurisprudence.

It was the third time that Jinggoy had to make the trip to the MMC from the VMMC for medical attention.

Hocson said Jinggoy’s stay at the MMC would depend on the findings of Anastacio.

Anastacio has also told the anti-graft court that the VMMC was inappropriate for Jinggoy’s health conditions, and even recommended that his patient be placed under house arrest while recuperating.

Lawyer Jose Flaminiano, legal counsel of the Estradas, has also filed a motion for bail for Jinggoy, citing as reason his health problems, but the petition was junked by the anti-graft court after the prosecution vigorously opposed it.

In another development, former Sen. Rene Saguisag, legal counsel of the deposed president, assured the Sandiganbayan that his client would immediately return to the country after undergoing knee operations in the United States.

Saguisag was reacting to allegations by the prosecution that Estrada would seek asylum in the Bahamas to evade prosecution in the Philippines.

The lawyer said Estrada has refused offers for him to leave by Jan. 20. "One who is going on 65 with bad eyes and bad knees cannot hide for long, assuming that would ever happen," Saguisag said.

Aside from his knee ailment, the elder Estrada wants to undergo removal of a cataract in his eye at the Rockwell Eye Institute in Makati City.