Doctor warns Gloria's illness may cause death

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has arrived at the Makati Medical Center Monday morning for a scheduled check up.

A television report said Dr. Roberto Anastacio, Arroyo's cardiologist at the Makati Medical Center, found that the titanium plate along her spine is disaligned. The opinion is in a medical bulletin dated August 11, 2012.

Anastacio also recommended another Quantum CT-Scan to "determine the status of the risk" and to find out how to address it. He said the displaced titanium plate could cause breathing and blood circulation problems and may subsequently result in death.

Arroyo, who is suffering from acute cervical and lumbar pain, has gone back to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center more than a week ago after reportedly choking on a piece of melon and a bacon-like material.

The now Pampanga representative has recently been allowed to post bail in the electoral fraud case after about seven months of detention at the VMMC.

The TV report added that Arroyo traveled to the MMC at 8 a.m. in a white van and without any convoy.