Andal Sr. skips poll sabotage hearing

MANILA, Philippines - Former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. failed again to show up at the Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) for his arraignment on charges of electoral sabotage in relation to the alleged cheating in Maguindanao province during the 2007 midterm election.

Ampatuan, a co-accused of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former election officer Lintang Bedol, was supposed to be brought to the court by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. He has been confined at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center since March 9.

Pasay RTC Branch 112 spokesperson Felda Domingo said Ampatuan’s lawyers must file a motion to justify their client’s absence or else they might be charged with contempt of court. She said the court has not yet acquired jurisdiction over Ampatuan, who is also facing charges before the Quezon City RTC in connection with the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

Pasay RTC Judge Jesus Mupas also ordered Ampatuan’s doctors to submit a medical report on the suspect’s condition as he reset the arraignment on March 26. Arroyo and Bedol have pleaded not guilty in separate arraignments last month.

Meanwhile, Ampatuan’s lawyers asked Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to order the warden of the Quezon City Jail Annex Taguig City to bring their client to any tertiary government hospital for a CT scan before returning him to detention.

Lawyer Philip Sigfrid Fortun said the CT scan for Ampatuan was recommended by Dr. Bella Siasoco of the Philippine General Hospital to determine if the suspect has “cancer of the lungs or some other curable ailments.”