Arroyo fit to leave hospital

The Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) director declared to media that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is well enough to leave the hospital.

According to VMMC director Dr. Nona Legaspi, Arroyo can be treated as an outpatient.

“Keeping her in the hospital is not our decision. It was a court order that brought her here,” said Dr. Legaspi.

She explained that the therapy Arroyo was undergoing for her bone ailment could be done outside the hospital. “Whatever should have been done for her for her ailment was already done at St. Luke’s. She can be an outpatient now,” Legaspi said.

Must be transferred to a regular detention facility

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez declared to media that “the poll agency believed Arroyo was already well and could be transferred to a regular jail facility.”

He added that Comelec will seek the issuance of a court order directing the Bureau of Jail Management to transfer the former president to a regular detention facility.

Arroyo has been observed to be walking out of her room and around VMMC going to the hospital chapel. It will save much needed government funds being spent for her stay in a hospital suite.

Jimenez said it would be up to the Pasay City Regional Trial Court where to transfer Arroyo.

Arroyo was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism, a disorder in the parathyroid indicated by a low production of hormones. Relative to the disease is another bone ailment called cervical spondylosis which severely weakened a portion of her spine.

She spent months in luxurious St. Luke’s Medical Center at Bonifacio Global City where doctors performed three operations to correct the alignment of her spine and repair a dislodged metal plate which was part of the treatment.

Arroyo has been accused of ordering the rigging of the senatorial race in Maguindanao province in 2007.

Her co-accused include former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol. — (Associated Press)

Updated: 2012-02-04 — 06:25:07