An appeal worthy of consideration

The appeal for government support made by former Quezon governor Eduardo Rodriguez and his wife regarding their ongoing extradition case deserves the utmost attention by the Arroyo administration

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You see, the Rodriguezez are wanted in the United States for insurance fraud, and the US wanted them to face its own brand of justice right in its hometown. The Rodriguezes had already expressed their desire to voluntarily go to the US. Good news, one might say, because the government need not spend a single centavo in extradition litigation.

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To me, this is an act of wisdom on the part of the Rodriguezes. Unlike another government official who is also wanted in the US, the Rodriguezes saw it fit to face the music and prove their innocence. The problem is that the bail set by the US for this particular case is outrageously high. At $2 million, I don’t think it is within the means of the Rodriguezes who are now living simply, making do with their little savings.

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I understand that Eddie and Emy have asked the government through the Department of Justice for help. They want the government to persuade the US to at least lower the bail so that they can have temporary freedom while their case is being heard. I think this is a reasonable request.

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I don’t think OJ Simpson paid that much for his temporary liberty while his murder case was being litigated. And besides, these two are not hardened criminals to merit such a scandalously high bail. They have not been convicted of any crime and as long-time public servants; they deserve full constitutional rights as Filipino citizens. I appeal to the sense of justice of Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to extend his help to the Rodriguezes, the same way the government did in the case of Sarah Balabagan and Flor Contemplacion.

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In 1980, the Rodriguezez allegedly duped an American insurance company of several thousands of dollars. Eddie and Emy supposedly claimed that Eddie’s mother had died of an accident. Eddie claimed they never did such a thing. He said he was framed by people close to the Marcoses. Eddie claimed he and his father, the late Don Filemon (they were in the US as political refugees) were being persecuted for the latter’s book, Marcos Regime: Rape of the Nation. I think the government should give Eddie the benefit of the doubt in this particular claim.

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Under Rodriguez, Quezon entered a pivotal period in its development with the entry of big BOT projects such as the $900 million-700 megawatt Hopewell power project in Pagbilao, $800 million-434 megawatt Bechtel-Ogden power plant in Mauban and hosts of other projects that changed the Quezon landscape and provided jobs and income opportunities to thousand of Quezon families.

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So far, few local orthopedic surgeons have stated their position on whether former President Estrada should be allowed to go to the US for his kneecap problem. Dr. David Murphy, a medical practitioner, sent a note on the subject, and the points raised are quite illuminating.

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Dr. Murphy opined that Erap’s osteoarthritis involves the weight-bearing surfaces of his knees, that is, the lower end of the femur (thigh bone) and the upper end of the tibia (shin bone). The surgery advised, total knee replacement, involves replacing these surfaces with a metal or metal-and-plastic prosthesis (artificial joint). "Unless techniques have changed in the last few years, the kneecap is retained and sutured back in place after the prosthesis has been inserted. As such it really can’t be described as ‘kneecap surgery,’ " he said.

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Although he is not enthusiastic about the idea of Erap being allowed to go to the US for the surgery, Dr. Murphy pointed out that, in the interest of truth, something that has not been mentioned. "The surgeon is only one member of a team. Although plenty of Filipino surgeons are qualified to perform this surgery, it is at least possible that the superior financial resources in the US might provide a more sterile operating environment than is available in the Philippines," he said.

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According to Dr. Murphy, this is a question of equipment, not of personnel. For example there are specially designed and equipped orthopedic operating rooms with "laminar flow" which is intended to minimize the possibility that airborne bacteria can get into the surgical area. There are vacuum systems and headgear that looks like space helmets that are intended to do the same. And he is not sure if these systems have been proven to reduce the incidence of infection, and he cannot say with complete certainty that these systems are available in the Philippines.

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"Infection of the surgical wound after total joint replacement is one of the most dreaded complications. This is one area where Erap might possibly find some sound medical basis for rationalizing his request to have this surgery in the U.S. The most definitive answer would be to compare infection rates of the involved hospital in each of the two countries but those numbers could be seriously skewed by incomplete or falsified reporting," Dr. Murphy stated.

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Thoughts For Today:

Every morning has a new beginning,
a new blessing, a new hope
and it’s a perfect day because it’s God’s gift.

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God’s purpose and design is behind every event.
At times what we consider to be a disaster
is simply the hand of God
rearranging and trimming our lives.

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]