Sunday, March 11, 2007 Ex-Batangas guv returns to Makati jail
A DAY after the Department of Justice (DOJ) threatened to have the court cited him for contempt, former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste was brought back to the Makati City Jail after nearly two weeks of confinement at the Makati Medical Center (MMC).
Leviste arrived at the city jail at about 1:30 p.m. accompanied by four escorts from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) led by Inspector Richard Tulade and was immediately taken to the jail's infirmary for a routine medical checkup, according to jail warden Delvic Oreiro.
"He will undergo a routine medical test at the infirmary before he will be taken to his detention cell. Right now, our medical personnel are observing his physical condition and blood pressure," said Oreiro, adding that Leviste had a blood pressure reading of 130 over 90.
He said Leviste might stay in the infirmary until next week so medical personnel can monitor his health condition there although Leviste has already recovered his strength and his skin color has returned since his confinement at the MMC.
His stay at the infirmary would also afford him the time to adjust to his detention.
Despite the horde of media people, Leviste begged off from giving any interviews because it was stressful.
The 67-year-old Leviste was rushed to the MMC last February 23 after complaining of low blood pressure, dizziness and poor eyesight, which the doctors later diagnosed as "hypovolemic shock secondary to gastro-intestinal bleeding and transient ischemic attack."
Leviste’s lawyers led by Manuel Singson asked Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda to allow him to stay in the hospital arguing that he has a "life-threatening" disease, which the prosecution opposed.
Alameda junked the petition last Wednesday after hearing the testimony of MMC doctors Reynato Kasilag and Ramon Luis Liboro as well as the report of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) medico-legal officer Dr. Cesar Bisquerra who he ordered to conduct an independent medical checkup on Leviste to determine his actual physical condition.
The three said Leviste's condition was stable enough and he can be brought to the city jail within the week.
Last Friday, Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco filed contempt charges against Leviste, Kasilag and Liboro due to their "continued defiance of a legitimate court order.
Despite the transfer, Velasco said he will still pursue the contempt charges against the accused and the two private doctors. (AH/Sunnex)
