Sandigan gives Jinggoy 2-day pass for colon checkup

MANILA, Philippines — The Fifth Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has granted the request of former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to leave detention for two days to undergo a medical checkup.

 

In a minute resolution dated July 25 and released to the media Wednesday, the court allowed Estrada to undergo a video colonoscopy examination at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) in San Juan City from 8 a.m. Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

 

Estrada is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City for plunder and graft cases over his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

 

The court said Estrada shall be transported to CSMC not earlier than one hour before the scheduled start of the examination and must leave the hospital “as soon as the procedures are terminated”.

 

The court said Estrada's use of electronic gadgets and other means of communication shall be under the control and supervision of his police escorts.

 

The court also reminded the former senator that he is not allowed to grant any media interviews and that he must shoulder all the expenses to be incurred by the PNP for his security and transportation.

 

In his motion filed before the court on July 13, Estrada said he was advised by his physician to undergo a video colonoscopy procedure after he was diagnosed to have an elevated level of blood protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), during a previous checkup at the PNP.

 

The colonoscopy procedure examines the patient's large intestines and colon to identify possible area of inflammation or bleeding, ulcer or polyps formation.

 

“Accused Estrada, through his counsels, is directed to furnish the Court with a copy of the result of the said examination,” the Fifth Division said in its resolution.

 

Estrada is accused of amassing P183.793 million in kickbacks for allocating his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel from 2004 to 2012 to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork scam.