Roco awaits cancer diagnosis

Presidential contender Raul Roco, who left for Houston, Texas to seek medical treatment for chronic pain in the lower back, was diagnosed with prostate cancer by local doctors, his campaign manager said yesterday.

Jaime Galvez-Tan, a physician himself and Roco’s medical adviser, emphasized though that the results are not conclusive and the Alyansa ng Pag-asa party is awaiting results that will confirm the "differential" diagnosis.

He said Roco’s laboratory results in the United States will be released tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.

"We will be able to come up with a medical bulletin at the latest by Saturday morning," he said.

Galvez-Tan emphasized that prostate cancer is not the only illness related to lower back pain, although he admitted that Roco had undergone prostate surgery in 1996.

"There are at least 20 conditions related to chronic pain in the lower back such as misaligned vertebra or slipped disc, pinched nerves or arthritis of the joints. Nobody can really be certain as to the actual cause of the pain unless it is confirmed by laboratory tests," Galvez-Tan told The STAR.

"That is why upon his doctors’ orders, the senator booked the first flight to the United States, in the interest of the country," he said.

He added that Roco had submitted himself to regular medical tests since 1996 and had consistently tested negative for cancer.

Galvez-Tan, a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and currently on leave as vice chancellor for research at the UP Manila for the duration of the campaign, strongly emphasized that prostate cancer is not always a life-threatening disease and patients diagnosed with it have almost 100 percent chance of recovery, especially if treated early.

"Compared to lung or liver cancer, prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer and cure rate is very high," he said, adding that a prostate cancer patient can hope to live a normal life up to 15 to 20 years after diagnosis.

Among the famous political figures who have been diagnosed to have cancer of the prostate, he said, are former US President Ronald Reagan, former New York City mayor Rudolf Guilliani, and US presidential contender John Kerry.

He explained that aside from surgery, treatment for prostate cancer usually include radiation and hormone therapy.

Galvez-Tan related to The STAR that the pain in Roco’s lower back was felt only in the last three weeks and he has been taking only Mafenamic acid every four hours to relieve the pain. "There were no other medication," he said.

As his medical adviser, he said he advised Roco to undergo an examination during the Lenten break and so on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, he had undergone a battery of tests and laboratory examinations at an undisclosed hospital. The results were out on Monday morning.

He said that Roco’s attending physicians insisted on confirmatory tests in the United States for the findings to be conclusive.

Roco consulted with his family on Monday evening and announced his decision to his partymates on Tuesday and called for a press conference. Accompanied by his wife Sonia and daughter Sareena, the Alyansa standard-bearer left late Tuesday for Houston, Texas on a Continental Airlines flight.

Roco yesterday called his youngest brother Facundo, the appointed spokesman for the Roco family, and relayed his message to the Filipino people: "Choose your leaders well."

"Last night I talked to him while he was in Honolulu (for a stopover en route to Houston). He sounded a bit tired. But before I came here, I just talked to Raul and he is in high spirit," Facundo said in a press briefing.

He noted that during their conversation, Roco kept repeating his wish that the Filipino electorate would vote wisely in the upcoming elections.

He also added that Roco also wanted the Alyansa candidates and supporters not to slow down in their efforts to bring back hope to the country.

"He’d also like me to tell Hermie (Aquino, Roco’s running mate) and the rest of the team to keep on fighting. That’s all he wanted to say," Facundo said.

Roco’s departure had triggered speculations that it was his way of withdrawing gracefully from the polls.

"This is a free country and anybody can speculate. So we are praying and hoping for Raul’s speedy recovery," he said.

Facundo, along with Roco’s sons Raul Jr., Bobbit and Rex and granddaughter Nica, and the Alyansa ticket offered a Mass for Roco at the EDSA Shrine at noon yesterday.

The Mass was preceded by a motorcade that was led by Rex, 29, and started from various points of Metro Manila and Rizal province.

The Roco children, who are all used to campaigning for their father since he entered politics in 1987, claimed that they would be intensifying the campaign for their father until his return two weeks from now.

"We do it honorably. We are not told (to help in the campaign). This comes from our freedom of will," Raul Jr. maintained.

Aquino, for his part, said they would see to it that Roco would find the Alyansa stronger when he comes home.

He said presidential candidates now seeking the votes intended for Roco are nothing but "political vultures."

"I call them political vultures. We’re still alive, we’re still fighting and yet they are too presumptuous in trying to divide the spoils," Aquino said in an ambush interview.

Among those presidential candidates who were vocal about benefiting from Roco’s sudden departure was Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who claimed that some of Roco’s supporters who felt "orphaned" have sent feelers to join their camp.

Aquino noted that Lacson could have only been "bluffing" as the Alyansa intends to stick it out with Roco.

The coalition, he claimed, will never abandon the millions of Filipinos who are clamoring for a clean and honest government. "We will not forsake our dreams, we will not walk away from our fight. We are at a critical time in our history. Today, more than ever, all Filipinos would rise from their complacency and take up the fight to bring back hope to this country," Aquino maintained.

To keep the Alyansa campaign upbeat despite Roco’s absence, the Women for Roco and the Alyansa ng Kabataan would be doubling their motorcade activities. The Alyansa sponsors a free concert, "Rock for Roco," tonight at the Adriatico Circle in Malate, featuring South Border. — With Sheila Crisostomo