Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines鈥揝tate prosecutors are opposing a recommendation of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) director that detained Sen. Juan Ponce聽Enrile聽be allowed to remain in the police hospital at Camp聽Crame.
In a comment that it filed in the聽Sandiganbayan聽Third Division, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) argued that there was no urgent reason for the court to grant聽Enrile鈥檚聽request for hospital arrest, despite his medical condition.
It said allowing聽Enrile聽to stay in the Philippine National Police General Hospital was tantamount to giving preferential treatment to one of the primary accused in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
At a hearing last Sept. 4, Dr. Jose Gonzales, the PGH director, told the聽antigraft聽court that聽Enrile鈥檚聽condition warranted his continued stay in a medical facility.
Gonzales made the conclusion after conducting a series of medical examinations on the frail, 90-year-old senator as ordered by the court.
But the OSP said there was 鈥渘either urgent necessity nor life-threatening condition鈥� that would justify聽Enrile鈥檚聽being allowed to be detained in a hospital.
The prosecution disagrees with Gonzales鈥� recommendation, the OSP said in a comment dated Sept. 8, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer.
鈥淗is condition, as admitted by Dr. Gonzales, is manageable and in fact controlled by maintenance medications taken regularly by accused聽Enrile,鈥� it said.
The state prosecutors said聽Enrile鈥檚聽condition was 鈥渘ot so special that would warrant a hospital arrest or confinement pending litigation.鈥�
鈥淭hus, to approve and agree with the recommendation of Dr. Gonzales will allow a special treatment extended to accused聽Enrile. It will put him in a better position from the other detention prisoners who are also suffering the same or even worse condition (than him),鈥� they said.
In his petition for bail,聽Enrile聽said he had been diagnosed with several illnesses such as macular degeneration, an eye condition that could lead to blindness.
He said he was also suffering from dyslipidemia, heart ailment, chronic hypertension, elevated blood-fasting sugar, anemia and diabetes.