Palace: Let court decide on hospital arrest for Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Malacañang is leaving it to the Quezon City court to decide whether to grant hospital arrest to former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., a key suspect in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

 

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Sunday the matter is now under the jurisdiction of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, who is handling the high-profile case.

 

“Depende siguro sa huwes. Hindi ko alam kung hihingin nila ‘yan formally sa korte kung magiging prolonged ang paglalagi sa hospital,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

 

The former governor is tagged as one of the suspects in the Maguindanao massacre last Nov. 23, 2009 where 58 people were killed, 32 of them journalists.

 

He is facing 57 counts of murder, along with almost 100 other suspects.

 

Last Friday, he was rushed to the Taguig Pateros District Hospital and then to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center after he vomited blood.

 

Ampatuan Sr. remained at the AFP Medical Center Saturday, even as the security there was slightly eased.

 

On Saturday, the prosecution panel in the Maguindanao massacre said it will ask Judge Solis-Reyes to summon the doctors at AFP Medical Center attending to Ampatuan Sr. to shed light on his condition.

 

Ampatuan’s legal counsel, Sigfrid Fortun, told GMA News Online Saturday they have not sought hospital arrest from the Quezon City Court. 

 

Fortun said, however, that they filed a motion requesting a "general check-up because of the blood in his [Ampatuan's] vomit." –KG, GMA News