Zaldy spends night at PHL Heart Center's coronary care unit

Suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan spent Wednesday night at the Coronary Care Unit at the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) in Quezon City, a radio report said. DzBB's Manny Vargas also said security was tight at the hospital, with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) deploying both uniformed and plainclothes personnel there. No visits to Ampatuan were recorded as of 5 a.m. Thursday, but BJMP security personnel had strict orders against accommodating casual visits, it added. The dzBB report quoted security personnel as saying they kept watch over Ampatuan to make sure he could not escape or be "harmed" while in the hospital.

Ampatuan was brought to the PHC amid tight security Wednesday noon, after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court allowed him to have a medical checkup there. He stayed overnight at the PHC despite an absence of a court order allowing it, with his lawyers claiming they should heed the advice of Ampatuan's cardiologist. But the BJMP allowed the murder suspect spend the night at the PHC for "humanitarian reason." BJMP director Rosendo Dial acknowledged that they he could be held liable for violating a court decision but said he did not want to disregard doctor's advice to keep Zaldy – said to be suffering from diabetes and coronary problems. Dial admitted that he was "at a quandary" whether to let Zaldy stay in hospital or bring him back to the Quezon City Jail Annex inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where the suspect is detained along with around 90 other suspects in the November 23, 2009 massacre that happened in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. Considered the worst election-related violence in the Philippines, the carnage left 57 people, including 32 journalists, dead and a 58th victim missing to this day. Dial said he did not want to defy Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes' order but admitted he was also worried that something might happen to Zaldy while under the BJPM's custody. "I don't think doctors will be able to contact the judge to allow Zaldy to stay for the night but we will do that first thing in the morning," Dial said shortly before Wednesday midnight. The BJMP chief also said his earlier "pull out" ' of Zaldy stays but added "that might not happen Wednesday night." For his part, Chief Inspector Edgar Camus, warden at the Quezon City Jail Annex in Taguig City where Zaldy used to be detained, said he has orders to bring the murder suspect back to his detention cell once medical exams on the latter are completed. — with a report by Mark D. Marueñas/LBG, GMA News