(UPDATE) Doctors find Ligots 'in good health'

MANILA, Philippines – Senate physicians headed by Dr. Mariano Blancia Jr. said former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and her wife Erlinda were in good health, contrary to the excuse that they were “sick” making them unavailable for the Senate hearing today.

This prompted Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III to recommend the “citing for contempt” for the couple.

“I recommend that they be cited for contempt and their commitment orders be issued,” he said, adding that the Senate needs nine votes to detain the couple at the Senate.

The findings came after the Senate sent its medical team to the house of the Ligots in an undisclosed location here to check if the declarations of “being sick” were true.

“During our examination to Mrs. Ligot, all our findings were normal,” said Blancia, though he cited that she consulted her physician yesterday where she was diagnosed for severe palpitation, acute gastroenteritis and diarrhea.

The Senate physicians also noted that Mr. Ligot was in good condition, saying that his earlier claim of suffering from flu was a self-proclamation.

“But they could have attended the hearing today,” Blancia said.

In a letter to Guingona this morning, Jacinto said he can’t attend today’s inquiry due to flu, while his wife Erlinda said she is suffering from “severe palpitation and acute gastroenteritis”.

Today’s hearing will supposedly be the last time for the Ligots to invoke their “rights against self incrimination” as Senators agreed to give them the last chance to answer queries on their questionable wealth.

This after the investigating lawmakers failed to squeeze information from the couple on how they accumulated huge savings accounts and multi-million properties here and abroad during last week’s hearing.

Senators agreed to give the Ligots the “last chance” today to answer questions regarding their wealth. If they act the same as on the previous hearings, the Senate could have them arrested for contempt.

At the opening of the hearing today, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile expressed disappointment of the absence of the Ligots.

“We respect the rights and dignity of our resource people here. But I warned everyone that there is a limit that we cannot cross,” he said, at the same time ordering the Senate doctors to check the “true health status” of the couple.

Guingona supported the move of Enrile, while warning any physician as to the whimsical use of medical certificates.

“We will hold any physician accountable, and we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who will use false medical certificate,” he said.