Erap escorted back to resthouse

Under tight police escort, ousted President Joseph Estrada left the San Juan Medical Center where he had been confined since Thursday and returned to his Tanay, Rizal resthouse yesterday.

Estrada was rushed to the San Juan Medical Center for the removal of a bulbar conjunctival cyst on his left eye.

The cyst was successfully removed last Saturday night at the hospital by Asian Eye Institute ophthalmologist Dr. Amadeo Veloso Jr.

"He (Estrada) is now okay to leave. Pwede na. He was given clearance by Dr. Veloso. His doctors will just visit him later in Tanay for a check-up," said San Juan Medical Center director and Estrada’s personal physician Dr. Lorenzo Hocson.

Sandiganbayan Sheriff Ed Urieta said the lawyers of the former president had asked for an extension of his hospital stay, but the court did not grant it. It would be recalled that Hocson earlier said Estrada would need at least two days at the hospital following his surgery.

Estrada left the hospital at 3:50 p.m. and was driven to a private helipad along Ortigas Avenue in San Juan where he boarded a helicopter for his trip back to Tanay.

Estrada arrived at the San Juan Medical Center last Thursday afternoon from his Tanay villa after his doctors told the Sandiganbayan Special Division that surgery must be immediately performed to remove the bulbar conjunctival cyst on his left eye.

Hocson said doctors who had performed an oculoplasty or removal of excess eyelid skin on the former president earlier this month noted the presence of the cyst, but did not remove it.

"This was the cyst that we saw, but we did not remove. We were hoping that it would get smaller within a month," he said.

Hocson said that though Estrada’s condition was not life threatening, the cyst in his left eye had to be removed immediately as it could trigger an infection of Estrada’s surgical scars.

Earlier, Estrada called on the people to continue holding protests against the administration of President Arroyo, especially in the wake of Proclamation 1017, which placed the country under a state of national emergency.