The Sandiganbayan has allowed detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada to undergo a knee X-ray despite opposition from the prosecution.
In a three-page minute resolution issued Monday, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division authorized Estrada to undergo the medical procedure at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan on Aug. 26.
Estrada is detained while facing plunder and graft charges before the court in connection with an alleged kickback scheme involving flood control projects. Four other accused are also facing charges in the case.
The court ordered Estrada to be accompanied by appropriate security escorts during the procedure and directed him to return to the New Quezon City Jail immediately after, no later than 3 p.m. on the same day.
Estrada will shoulder all hospital bills, medical fees, transportation and other incidental expenses related to the procedure.
The court also limited those who may accompany him to his immediate family, legal counsel and attending medical personnel, aside from security escorts. It prohibited photography, video recording and social media posts concerning the medical procedure.
The senator had been experiencing joint effusion and intermittent pain in both knees before his detention. The court said he had previously been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition that affects mobility.
His persistent knee pain has recently worsened, making it difficult for him to walk, according to the court.
Estrada’s wife relayed his condition to his orthopedic doctor, Jose Fernando Syquia, who recommended an X-ray to determine whether his condition had deteriorated.
The prosecution opposed Estrada’s request to undergo the procedure outside the detention facility, suggesting instead that a portable X-ray machine or mobile X-ray clinic be brought to the jail.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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