Zaldy Ampatuan wants medical checkup outside BJMP

Suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan — a suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case — has asked the Quezon City court handling the case to allow him to undergo a medical checkup in a private hospital. In a petition filed before the sala of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, Ampatuan's legal counsel Redemberto Villanueva expressed concerns about the health of his client, who he said is suffering from diabetes and has been isolated from the other detainees due to his condition. Ampatuan is currently staying at Cell Number 6 inside the Quezon City Jail Annex in Taguig City along with five other detainees and away from his fellow accused and relatives who are also implicated in the high profile massacre case. "We want him to undergo an examination due to his fluctuating blood pressure and sugar level brought about perhaps by the changing weather," Villanueva said. The court had earlier allowed Ampatuan and his father, fellow accused Andal Ampatuan Sr., to undergo regular medical checkups while in detention. But Villanueva said there was a need to bring his client to a private hospital this time, noting that the medical equipment at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology infirmary may not be sufficient for his client's condition. Villanueva assured the public that his client will not be confined at the hospital. "Baka isang buong araw lang naman ang checkup pero hindi iko-confine," he said. The prosecution however objected to the idea of bringing the younger Ampatuan out of BJMP, saying he is considered a "flight risk" especially since he has yet to be arraigned. Andal Sr., the Ampatuan patriarch, had earlier asked Judge Solis-Reyes to allow him to undergo a full medical checkup preferably at a tertiary hospital due to his swollen leg and foot, which he said may be due to his prostate ailment. After eventually being allowed by the court, Andal Sr. underwent a medical examination by BJMP's Dr. Victoria Valeria, who recommended him to be further looked into by his private physician at the Makati Medical Center. The Ampatuans and their supposed private army were blamed for the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province on Nov. 23, 2009. Some of the victims, which included 32 journalists, were members of their rival Mangudadatu clan. - KBK, GMA News