(UPDATE) Estrada leaves hospital, heads for chopper

Former President Joseph Estrada on Friday left the San Juan Medical Center (SJMC) and made his way to a waiting helicopter that would take him back to his Tanay rest house, GMA 7's DZBB reported. Estrada stepped out of the hospital at around 11:30 a.m. wearing a blue jacket as security guards warded off reporters. Doctor Lorenzo Hocson, personal physician of the former president, diagnosed Estrada to be suffering from acute gastroenteritis and dehydration. Estrada spent the night at the SJMC taking intravenous fluids (IV) from a dextrose bottle. He was reportedly taken Friday to the Ortigas Extension where a helicopter was being prepared for his trip to Tanay. The Sandiganbayan Special Division allowed Estrada to attend the celebration of the 101st birthday of his mother, Doña Mary Ejercito, last Wednesday. During the party, Estrada complained of severe stomach pains and was taken to the hospital at noon the next day. He was allegedly served his favorite oily foods. Meanwhile, Estrada on Friday refused to comment on the reported "guilty" plea entered by former US intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo in relation to his espionage case in the United States. Aragoncillo, a Filipino-American who worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and former Philippine police official Michael Ray Aquino had been accused of allegedly stealing confidential US documents and transmitting these to at least three Philippine officials. The officials included Estrada, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella. Aragoncillo had admitted passing classified information to plotters whom he said were trying to overthrow President Arroyo. Aragoncillo outlined before a federal court in New Jersey five years of efforts to pass top secret and secret information to Filipino officials. Estrada said he would wait until have obtained formal confirmation of Aragoncillo's alleged plea bargain. The ousted president earlier admitted receiving information from Aragoncillo, but claimed the data amounted to nothing more than what could be read in national dailies. The Sandiganbayan granted the defense panel's plea to postpone Estrada's sixth testimony on plunder and perjury charges. Magistrates set a May 24 hearing date. -GMANews.TV