Erap eyes surgery in Switzerland

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

If the United States refuses to issue him a visa due to his pending plunder case before the Sandiganbayan, deposed President Joseph Estrada is considering going to Switzerland to have surgery performed on his arthritic knees by his American doctor Christopher Jordan.

Estrada’s official spokesman Rollie Ramirez told The STAR yesterday that the ousted president is again considering asking the Sandiganbayan to reissue the new medical leave it earlier granted him so he can finally have his knees operated on.

Estrada, Ramirez said, "is again being bothered by his knees and he has been taking double dosage(s) of his painkillers, which could be dangerous to his kidneys."

Since Estrada cannot go to the US "because of this visa issue, he can go to Switzerland instead," Ramirez said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has issued Estrada a regular Philippine passport one month after the Sandiganbayan granted him a three-month medical furlough so he could undergo knee surgery by his former physician, Dr. Christopher Mow, at the Palo Alto Medical Center in California.

However, the US Embassy in Manila denied Estrada’s visa application, citing the existing rules of the US State Department barring the issuance of US visas to any persons, including former presidents, who have criminal cases pending in court.

After his US visa application was denied, Estrada did not avail himself of the court-approved medical furlough, which has since lapsed.

Ramirez said Estrada would ask his lawyers to revive his medical furlough before his condition takes a turn for the worse.

He said Estrada’s lawyers have been checking out a possible visa application to Switzerland, which might be more lenient in allowing Estrada to have his knee surgery there.

Estrada has replaced Mow with Jordan, because of the very stiff fees charged by the latter.

Estrada’s knee condition was found to be complicated by multiple slipped discs, according to his most recent medical examination at the Asian Hospital im Muntinlupa City.

He was allowed by the court to leave his detention area at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal and go to the Asian Hospital for a check up.

He is now in the care of physical therapy and sports doctor Dr. Tyrone Reyes, who writes a regular medicine column for The STAR.

Estrada is now undergoing therapy at his rest house located on a sprawling, 21-hectare property across Camp Capinpin. The Sandiganbayan has granted the petition for house arrest filed by Estrada’s lawyers.

When Estrada was first transferred to Camp Capinpin, President Arroyo sent him a gift of golf carts so he could use them for freer movement after he had been detained for two years at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

The 67-year-old former president was finally transferred to his rest house after his lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) won back-to-back victories for him during the recent proceedings for his plunder trial before the Sandigabayan.

Estrada was also cleared of the "illegal use of alias" charges for the use of the moniker "Jose Velarde," a name he had allegedly signed in the presence of Equitable-PCI Bank executives led by star witness Clarissa Ocampo.

The special division of the graft court trying the plunder case dismissed the illegal use of alias charge last month before its presiding justice, Minita Chico-Nazario, was sworn into office as the 15th member of the Supreme Court.

Estrada insists that he did not enter into any "deals" with Mrs. Arroyo in scoring these legal victories.

Mrs. Arroyo has invoked her policy of "humanitarian treatment" for Estrada, who was ousted by what is now known as the EDSA II people power revolt on Jan. 21, 2001.

Mrs. Arroyo, then vice president, assumed the presidency after Estrada’s ouster.