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Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Ecleo examination needs to be completed: doctor
JUST how serious are Ruben Ecleo Jr.’s “serious ailments and worsening health condition” that he must be granted bail and confined to a hospital?
According to Dr. Walter Acuzar, the cardiologist who examined Ecleo upon the request of the Ecleo family, there is no “serious ailment” to speak of because the examinations on Ecleo aren’t complete yet.
Also, the doctor said the Ecleo family’s delay in signing the consent form for a procedure known as an angiogram has hindered his findings on what’s wrong with the parricide suspect.
“Ten minutes and we’re done. We’ll know the results immediately,” said the interventional cardiologist when questioned by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23 Judge Generosa Labra in court yesterday.
Labra told the court she will withhold action on the motion for bail until Ecleo gets an angiogram but did not direct Ecleo, who was not present during the hearing despite a subpoena, as to when to take it.
She also said she will not allow Ecleo, a former mayor of Dinagat Island in Surigao del Norte, to leave Cebu just to take the procedure even if the family, according to defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre, may be inclined to get the procedure somewhere else.
Salatandre emphasized the seriousness of getting the procedure but was stopped short by the prosecution, who said he was already describing the dangers of bypass procedures, and so “was jumping over the bridge.”
The prosecution panel presented Acuzar as a rebuttal witness to Dr. Evelyn Alesna’s testimony that the parricide suspect is suffering from serious ailments and was a “walking time bomb.”
“I don’t like to use that word. I prefer to describe it as a mild to moderate risk,” Acuzar said.
A second physician, Dr. Arthur Dy was also subpoenaed to testify, but he failed to show up. A subpoena was again issued for him yesterday, with Labra threatening to use her contempt powers if he again fails to appear.
It was Ecleo’s supposed worsening health condition that prodded Labra, in an order dated March 2, to grant Ecleo’s temporary release from detention after posting bail set at P1 million.
The prosecution panel has filed a motion for reconsideration against the order and yesterday’s hearing, which will continue today, was a result of that.
While being questioned by private prosecutor Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco, Acuzar said two doctors separately referred Ecleo to him in February last year. Acting on the referral, Acuzar had Ecleo take a complete physical examination with laboratory testing.
He made Ecleo wear a halter monitor and determined the regularity of his heart’s functions after 24 hours of normal activity. This revealed nothing substantive but warranted further investigation.
He also made the supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association take an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram, both of which obtained findings “consistent with the (findings from the) halter monitor.”
The doctor said he also had Ecleo take a Stress Thallium test that tended to show that the chest sensations Ecleo originally complained of might have been merely stress induced.
He agreed with Yongco’s observation that nothing will happen to Ecleo as long as he doesn’t over-exert himself and just rest. He quickly pointed out, though, that “it is difficult to say the patient is normal or not normal.”
Acuzar said the angiogram is important in determining what is wrong with Ecleo because, from its results, doctors can collate data and make a conclusion. KNR
(March 24, 2004 issue)
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