Infection concerns delay Erap’s hospital visit

Former President Joseph Estrada’s visit to his 102-year-old mother Mary Ejercito at the San Juan Medical Center in San Juan yesterday was delayed due to doctors’ efforts to prevent infection inside the room.

In a phone interview, Sandiganbayan sheriff Edgardo Urieta said Estrada was already ready to enter his mother’s room as early as 11 a.m. but was told by hospital personnel to wait for the go-signal from the staff.

Urieta said the delay could be due to efforts to prevent infection inside the room.

No visitor was allowed inside Mrs. Ejercito’s room yesterday, except for the former President.

However, Dr. Lorenzo Hocson, the Estrada family’s physician, denied the report, saying Estrada was scheduled to visit his mother at 2 p.m. and that no order was received that delayed Estrada’s visit. 

Ferdie Ramos, media relations officer of the former President, said Estrada went to the hospital at around 4 p.m. and was allowed to stay inside Mrs. Ejercito’s private room. He was scheduled to stay there until 7 p.m.

Hocson said that although members of the family could visit Mrs. Ejercito, the doctors try to limit this.

“Pwede naman mag-visit (They could visit). But with limited visitors. This is to prevent possible infection. The last visit (of Estrada) was about 30 minutes,” he said.

The Sandiganbayan Special Division had extended Estrada’s stay at his San Juan residence to allow him to visit his ailing mother.

The permission was granted after one of the former President’s lawyers, Jose Flaminiano, rendered a song the other day before the three justices – Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Francisco Villaruz Jr.

De Castro and the other justices, as well as the people attending the court proceedings, were amused at Flaminiano’s unusual way of convincing the court of his client’s request.

Flaminiano told the court that day that Mrs. Ejercito’s medical condition had worsened, which Hocson confirmed. – Sandy Araneta