Court junks Jinggoy plea

The Sandiganbayan junked yesterday the motion of former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada to undergo treatment of his alleged "rectal bleeding" problem at the Makati Medical Center.

Acting Presiding Justice Minita Chico-Nazario ordered instead Jinggoy’s personal physician, Dr. Lorenzo Hocson to conduct the alleged necessary "gastroscope and colonoscopy" examination on Jinggoy at his temporary detention room at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

Jinggoy, through Hocson, had asked the anti-graft court to allow him to undergo medical examination and treatment at the Makati Medical Center for three to five days.

Hocson told the anti-graft court that Jinggoy has been suffering from "rectal bleeding."

The prosecution panel led by Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos opposed Jinggoy’s motion saying that Hocson himself admitted in open court that the equipment allegedly needed, called a colonoscope, is portable and can be conveniently brought to the VMMC.

Kallos said that this would spare the government the unnecessary security expense and distraction of yet again transporting Jinggoy from the VMMC to the MMC.

"The VMMC is a top government medical institution and it strains credulity that it is not capable of dealing with medical conditions as common as hemmorhoids which Jinggoy allegedly suffers," Kallos said. – Jose Rodel Clapano