Amid doubts, Ecleo may get surgery ‘soon’

CONCERNED about the heart ailment of Ruben Ecleo Jr., his family is “further studying” when the leader of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) should undergo a coronary bypass surgery.

But Thelma Chiong, national vice president of the Crusade Against Violence (CAV), expressed her disappointment over the argument presented by the defense panel, saying Ecleo does not appear to be sick.

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“He does not look sick. If he is sick, he is supposed to be at the hospital,” said Chiong.

She said that Ecleo should also not be seeking public office, since the campaign sorties will be very stressful for someone who is suffering from a heart ailment.

Lawyer Orlando Salatandre Jr., counsel for Ecleo, yesterday said it is normal for someone to have second thoughts about undergoing open heart surgery.

But Salatandre said the Ecleo family is also thinking about it seriously because they know that his condition “is getting worse” and he has to submit himself to surgery soon.

Ecleo, the “supreme master” of the PBMA and a former mayor of Dinagat town in Surigao del Norte, was charged with killing his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, on Jan. 5, 2002.

Ecleo’s cardiologist, Dr. Roberto Anastacio of Makati Medical Center, told the court last Wednesday his patient needs to undergo surgery to improve blood flow to his heart.

In his presentation, which lasted about two hours, Anastacio said a blockage was found in Ecleo’s arteries.

Anastacio told the court that Ecleo remains a “walking time bomb” and a troubled environment or sudden change of weather can affect his health.

Anastacio also said there is an “irregularity” in the suspect’s heartbeat, a sign that Ecleo is still suffering from a heart ailment.

Salatandre also downplayed the argument of a prosecution lawyer who distributed copies of official ballots showing that the suspect is seeking a congressional seat in the lone district of San Jose, Dinagat Island in Surigao del Norte in the May 10 elections.

Lawyer Fritz Quiñanola has expressed doubts on the medical findings and asked why someone who is supposed to be a “walking time bomb” would run for congressional office.

Chiong, for her part, said Salatandre was just “singing an old tune” when he presented the latest medical updates on Ecleo’s heart ailment.

But Salatandre said Quiñanola “must study the heart” before coming up with what he described as a “superficial” argument.

In a separate interview, Quiñanola said that while the prosecution respects the medical findings of Anastacio, they will stick with the 2006 findings of Dr. Generoso Matiga.

Matiga had conducted two medical exams on Ecleo and declared that Ecleo was fit to be brought back to jail since his medical bulletin indicates he did not have significant heart disease, at least in 2006.

Quiñanola said the prosecution lawyers are getting ready to cross-examine Anastacio on April 14 to disprove that Ecleo is really ill.

He hinted that the prosecution panel may also request Matiga to reexamine Ecleo although they will still discuss such an option.

Last March 1, 2004, Ecleo posted a P1-million bail with Judge Generosa Labra of RTC Branch 23, after his lawyer presented medical findings showing that his health was getting worse.