Philippines: Scandal games...

This if from Malaya. (Manila)
When the Senate tried to question Joc Joc before, he disappeared and ended up in the US where he tried unsuccessfully to obtain asylum. Now he is seeking asylum in the hospital! Don't be surprised if he suddenly disappears from the hospital. Arroyo would love him to disappear!


Joc Joc’ gets to staylonger in hospitalPing hits Villar stance on summons
BY DENNIS GADIL
SENATE marshals will have to wait for "a few more days" before they could bring former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc Joc" Bolante to the chamber for detention.
Senate President Manny Villar yesterday instructed Senate Sergeant-at-Arms chief Jose Balajadia to make sure that Bolante goes through the needed check-ups at the St. Luke’s Medical Center before he could be compelled to give his testimony on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
Balajadia said the "few more days" could mean "reasonable number of days."
"It takes days for medical checks," he said.
The St. Luke’s Medical Center finally released its first medical bulletin declaring that Bolante was in normal and stable condition.
"Stable siya pero he needs to be subjected to further examination just to be sure he’s really stable," Dr. Romeo Saavedra said.
He said almost all test results were normal except for CT scans on Bolante’s aorta and arteries, which need to be probed further.
Saavedra also noted the hardening of blood vessels in Bolante’s heart as well as his "significant" weight loss.
He said the full results of the examinations are likely to be released Monday.
He said Bolante will be subjected to a stress test, which includes a treadmill procedure.
He will also undergo peptic ulcer check-ups today.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson criticized Villar’s "dilly-dallying" in getting Bolante to the Senate to testify.
Lacson said Villar could have subpoenaed Bolante’s medical records from St. Luke’s.
"He wants a caucus yet he’s not calling for a caucus. What does he really want out of this whole exercise?" he said.
He said the Senate risks being overtaken by events if it does not act, saying the high court can issue a temporary restraining order on Bolante’s arrest.
Lacson said Villar should have scheduled a hearing so that the Senate will have basis to subpoena the medical records of Bolante.
Lacson said he would not speculate on the real condition of Bolante since he is not a doctor.
Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday said he was "101 percent" sure that Bolante was just faking his illness.
"I will not speculate (on Bolante’s health). Si Jinggoy nasa US paano niya malaman? Lalong malayo," he said.
Bolante arrived Tuesday night and was served the arrest order by the Senate marshals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
But before the arrest could be enforced, Bolante complained of chest pains and had to be taken to the hospital.
He was tagged by the Senate in 2005 as the architect in the illegal diversion of fertilizer funds, allotted for farm implements, to the campaign kitty of President Arroyo for the 2004 national elections.
He fled to the United States in July 2006 to seek political asylum but his petition was junked with finality by the US Supreme Court last month, resulting in his deportation.