Jinggoy seeks two-day furlough

Detained former Senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan for a two-day furlough to undergo a medical procedure to examine his colon.

In his motion filed before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Estrada, through his counsel, said he plans to undergo video colonoscopy at the soonest possible time at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center after he was found to have "elevated levels of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)."

"The doctor advised me to undergo colonoscopy, up and down, gastroscopy tsaka colonoscopy... Mayroon lang mga elevated blood test na nakita, abnormalities din," Estrada told reporters in an interview.

"As far as all my blood chemistries are concerned, normal naman," he added.

Estrada, in his motion, said the procedure usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, but the preparation and post-procedure observations require 24 hours each.

The son of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada is facing plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam. His trial on Monday was postponed anew after his lawyers filed a manifestation disputing the prosecution's description of documentary evidence.

Estrada is facing plunder and 11 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing P183.793-million worth of kickbacks by allocating his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by Janet Lim Napoles, the scam's alleged mastermind. —KBK, GMA News