By Ronron
October 1, 2007
Even before he can be informed by the military prosecution of the General Court Martial’s recommendation to allow Marine Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda to visit a hospital for his ailment, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. already denied it.
In a chance interview at Camp Crame, Quezon City where he attended the turn over of command rites for the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Esperon said a local hospital had already recommended that Miranda can be considered as “an outpatient” despite having problems to his ears and suffering from vertigo.
“When I learned that he has problems to his hearing, and vertigo, I sent him to the local hospital to be checked there and he was given medication and they say that he doesn’t have to be confined. So, it’s the doctor talking,” Esperon recounted, without citing the date.
“We had him checked up again on September 28 and the doctor said he can be administered to as an outpatient. But of course, we are not neglecting his needs,” he added.
During the hearing last Friday in Tanay, Rizal, Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, a co-accused of Miranda along with 26 others in relation to the alleged February 2006 coup plot, informed the court that Miranda could not attend that day’s proceedings because he could not rise.
Lim said Miranda has problems with his sugar level and cholesterol count, his ears and vertigo, he even collapsed a week earlier inside the bathroom. Lim warned that Miranda could collapse again anytime soon or go into coma due to hypoglycemia because he is not allowed to go to a bigger hospital.
Lim went on to accuse Esperon of playing god even at the risk of the health condition of his co-accused officers.
But Esperon said he could not grant Miranda an “executive medical check-up” because “it is a privilege only for non-trouble makers.”
“For example, you yourselves. Since you are not doing anything bad, you can have an executive check-up. But if you are a destabilizer, you are in jail, why would you ask now for an executive check-up? It is not our fault why you are now in jail,” Esperon sarcastically said in Filipino.
Aside from Miranda, five other officers are reportedly ill also and need medical attention.
Favoring the request of Lim and their lawyers for medical check-up for the sick accused officers, the panel ordered the military prosecution panel during last Friday’s hearing to immediately coordinate with Esperon over said matter./DMS
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