Enrile leaves Crame again for third eye checkup

MANILA, Philippines - After a week in detention, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile again left the Philippine National Police General Hospital for an eye check-up at a hospital in Makati City early yesterday.

Police escorted Enrile from the PNP hospital in Camp Crame where he is being detained to the Asian Eye Institute.

After 30 minutes, Enrile was escorted back to the PNP hospital.

The 90-year-old lawmaker is required to undergo a twice-a-month checkup and treatment of his eyes for age-related macular degeneration.

Enrile was first brought to the Asian Eye Institute last July 5 for his treatment. He was brought back to the eye clinic the following day. During his July 5 visit to the eye clinic, Enrile had intravitreal aflibercept injection on his right eye, the PNP said.

Enrile said his right eye was treated to address macular degeneration, which if not treated properly could lead to blindness.

Enrile surrendered to the PNP after the Sandiganbayan issued the warrant of arrest on charges of graft and plunder stemming from the misuse of pork barrel funds.

Among the accused with Enrile are Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, his former chief of staff; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his three staff members Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare.

Relampagos and three of his staff members opposed the prosecution’s proposal to amend the criminal information on the graft charges filed against them in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.

The prosecution wants that the prefix “Sub” be changed to “Special” so that the phrase “Sub Allotment Release Order” (sub-ARO) will be read as “Special Allotment Release Order” (SARO).

Defense lawyers, however, said the amendment to the information could change the substance of the charges.

If the amendments were admitted, it would mean Relampagos and the three did not participate in the issuance of sub-AROs.  – With Reinir Padua