Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte said that so far, Arroyo’s physicians have not issued a medical bulletin on the state of her health that would indicate a need for her to get medical treatment abroad, as stated by her legal spokesman, Raul Lambino.
“The doctors of former President Arroyo have not issued a medical bulletin to this effect. But even if that happens, we will defer to the judgment of Secretary de Lima on this matter because there is the issue on the watch list that needs to be tackled,” Valte said.
De Lima had earlier placed Arroyo on the watch-list order of the Bureau of Immigration, and had said that she would consult government physicians should the former President require medical treatment abroad, as claimed by her camp.
“So far we have not heard of any changes coming from the end of the Department of Justice and should the doctors come out with a medical bulletin and say that they recommend further treatment elsewhere than Manila, then it would be Secretary de Lima. We will defer to her judgment,” she said.
Valte said that Arroyo, just like any other person, “has the freedom depending on her means to get the best medical treatment that is possible and that is very subjective.”
The Arroyo camp earlier said that Arroyo, who just had corrective surgery on her cervical spine, requires treatment in either Singapore or London.
Meanwhile, Valte defended de Lima from the allegations of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that the justice secretary is the “weakest link” in the government’s anti-corruption drive.
“Insofar as Secretary de Lima is the weakest link, we’d like to differ from the opinion of Senator Trillanes because we have seen the work that Secretary de Lima has put in especially in the DOJ,” she said.
Valte said that the anti-corruption drive is not solely the work of the DOJ, but other offices such as the Ombudsman.
Disinformation on GMA’s health
THE camp of the former President on Sunday denounced what it described as a “massive disinformation” campaign about her health condition.
The Arroyo camp even denied reports quoting her as saying that “she was in serious condition and was even advised by her doctors at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City to seek further medical treatment abroad.”
Lawyer Raul Lambino, Arroyo’s legal spokesman, said Arroyo’s condition has improved considerably compared to the past two days where she was under observation by her doctors after an infection was discovered, preventing her from undergoing further surgery to correct the dislocated titanium implants in her cervical spine.
“It is brazen disregard of good manners and right conduct for detractors of the Arroyo family to embark on a massive disinformation campaign on former President Arroyo’s medical condition,” Lambino said.
Lambino denied reports attributed to him describing Arroyo’s condition as serious and she needed to go abroad to seek further treatment.
Arroyo was scheduled for surgery on August 10 to address the dislodged titanium implants in her spine.
The operation, however, was held off after physicians discovered an infection. Doctors are still looking at the possible causes of the infection.
Earlier, Juliet Gopez-Cervantes, one of her attending doctors said they were backtracking since Arroyo’s first day of admission to the hospital to determine if there were breaks in the protocol that could have caused the infection though on Saturday, she said the probe turned out negative.
(With PNA)
