Zaldy Ampatuan allowed to see a shrink

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) has allowed murder suspect Zaldy Ampatuan to be examined by a mental health doctor.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the RTC Branch 221 issued an amended order on Wednesday, including a physician from the National Center for Mental Health in the list of doctors who could examine Ampatuan.

Solis-Reyes, in an order issued Tuesday, earlier allowed Ampatuan to be examined by a physician of the detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

If not, a doctor from the Philippine General Hospital or the National Bureau of Investigation could also examine the former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, who is among those indicted for the Maguindanao massacre.

Lawyers for the prosecution, however, filed their opposition to Solis-Reyes’ amended order.

They said in their opposition that while they did not oppose Ampatuan’s request for a medical examination, “it is clear that the defense is already laying the basis for an unorthodox (albeit predictable) theory of defense and establishing a ground for an out-of-prison arrest.”

Ampatuan had complained of shortness of breath and cited illnesses like diabetes mellitus and asthma. He claimed the condition inside the detention facility has aggravated his condition.

But after the first order was issued, Ampatuan’s lawyer asked that a mental health doctor also examine him because of bouts of depression and an eating disorder.

Defense lawyer Redemberto Villanueva said his client has experienced “increased sleeplessness, significant weight loss and complete loss of appetite.”

He said Ampatuan is suffering from “sleeplessness and (is) anorectic, barely touching his food with symptoms of fearfulness and acute anxiety.”