Congressional team begins inquiry on Cebu surgery scandal

CEBU CITY, Philippines - The congressional probe on the controversial surgery scandal in Cebu began with the visit of a team of lawmakers to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu Friday. Members of the congressional team who conducted a short inspection of the operating room where the surgery was conducted on a gay patient were representatives Satur Ocampo, Bayan Muna party-list representative; Lorenzo Tañada III, chair of the House Committee on Human rights; Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, Akbayan party-list and Liza Masa of Gabriela. Members of the media were barred from entering the operating room with the lawmakers, according to GMA regional news Balitang Bisdak. After a swift ocular inspection of the operating room, the congressional team immediately left the hospital, the report said. In an ambush interview with the media, Rep. Baraquel said that the short inspection of the operating room was part of the probe into the surgery scandal in aid of legislation. Baraquel did not elaborate on the matter, Balitang Bisdak. said. The surgery gained notoriety after members of the medical team videotaped the operation to pull out a canister from the anus of the gay patient without the patient's consent and posted it on YouTube, a video sharing site in the Internet. - GMANews.TV