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Saturday, January 01, 2005
Estrada has knee surgery after a day's delay
HONG KONG -- Ousted President Joseph Estrada had knee surgery Friday in Hong Kong, after a delay of one day caused by the refusal of Hong Kong officials to allow his US surgeon to operate.
A local surgeon, Julian Chang, began operating on Estrada's knees at 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, said the former leader's spokesman, Didagen Dilangalen.
Dilangalen said the procedure, expected to last three to four hours, was going smoothly.
Estrada, who suffers from osteoarthritis and torn ligaments in his knees, had planned to have his US surgeon, Dr. Christopher Mow, operate on him on Thursday.
But Mow, of Redwood City, California, did not have a license to operate in Hong Kong, and local medical officials declined to give him permission to do the procedure.
Dilangalen said he did not know whether Mow was allowed to supervise the operation.
Estrada left office after massive street protests in 2001 and has been under virtual house arrest on corruption charges, which he has denied.
Prosecutors allege that while in office, Estrada collected illegal gambling payoffs, tax kickbacks and commissions stashed in secret bank accounts.
The Hong Kong trip - his first journey outside the country since he was ousted - is being closely watched amid speculation he may flee the Philippines.
Estrada explained Thursday night why he decided to use a Hong Kong surgeon.
"I have to go ahead with surgery because getting approval from the Philippine government is very hard and I don't know whether it will be granted again," Estrada said.
Estrada has said he would return to the Philippines by Jan. 15 - a deadline set by an anti-graft court. (AP)
(January 1, 2005 issue)
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