GMA undergoes third spine surgery

Doctors of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo decided to push through with her third cervical spine surgery Wednesday morning.

Marilen Lagniton, St. Luke’s Medical Center Vice President for Customers Affairs and spokesperson, told a media briefing that a team led by veteran orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mario Ver, started the operation on her cervical spine between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday.

She said the medical team led by Arroyo’s personal physician, Dr. Juliet Gopez Cervantes, decided to push through with the operation after the absence of fever for the past 24 hours.

Lagniton said the operation was expected to last for at least five hours.

She added that doctors led by Dr. Cervantes will give another media briefing at noon Thursday to give an update on the surgery.

Gloria Arroyo surgery postponed due to fever

The surgery to correct a pinched nerve on former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spine scheduled this week will be postponed after she developed a fever last night, her doctors said Monday.

A medical bulletin released by Mrs. Arroyo’s doctors from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City said they decided to wait for the former President’s temperature to normalize before pushing through with the operation.

"While there is no contraindication to going ahead with surgery, we want to make sure fever is gone before proceeding with surgery," the medical bulletin read.

Gloria Arroyo to undergo second spine surgery

Former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to undergo another operation on Wednesday after going under the knife two weeks ago to correct a pinched nerve in her spine.

In a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras," reporter John Consulta said that the former President is set to undergo a five-hour operation at 7 a.m. on Wednesday after doctors at St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City discovered that the titanium plate in her spine was dislocated.

Mrs. Arroyo was discharged from the hospital last Friday, a week after she went through the first operation.

DOJ to place GMA under watch list

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will place former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo under the immigration watch list, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Monday.

De Lima said the order will be issued anytime this week.
She explained that the order was put on hold "for humanitarian reasons," as Arroyo recently underwent a surgical operation for a pinched nerve.

De Lima said the former President is currently facing several graft and plunder complaints for alleged anomalies under her nearly 10-year administration.

Plunder is a non-bailable offense.
De Lima also said the DOJ has the authority to have people placed under the immigration watch list. Those on the list cannot leave the country without permission from the DOJ.

Arroyo transferred to regular hospital room

After more than a day in intensive care, former President Gloria Arroyo was transferred to a regular room at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City Sunday morning.

SLMC spokesperson Marilyn Lagniton said Arroyo was transferred sometime Sunday morning, according to a report by radio dzBB’s Allan Gatus.

But the report said Lagniton did not give further details about the transfer.

The report did not say when Mrs. Arroyo, now Pampangacongresswoman, can be discharged.

Last Monday, Arroyo was rushed to the SLMC in Taguig City where doctors found she had a pinched nerve in her spine.

She underwent surgery last Friday to prevent a possible paralysis, her doctors had said. — LBG, GMA News

Virgilio Garcillano may summon from Senate in poll fraud probe

Despite his insistence he did not take part in any alleged cheating in the 2004 elections, former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano may be summoned to the Senate to testify on the matter.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III on Sunday said Garcillano, who insisted on his “innocence" in a press conference in Bukidnon last Saturday, remains one of the central figures in the “Hello Garci" poll fraud scandal.

Cops apologise to Filipinos for 2004 poll fraud

"You can't hide anything that stinks."

With those words, Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago on Friday (July 29) apologised to the Filipino nation, and especially to Madame Susan Roces, for what he and his men did six years ago steal election returns (ERs) to ensure the victory of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the fraud-marred 2004 presidential election.

Gloria Arroyo now recuperating

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is recuperating in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Global City, Taguig City, after going through a risky but successful surgery to repair her damaged cervical spine.

Doctors said the former President had to be confined at the ICU to ensure that there would be no problems arising from the surgery. They said Mrs. Arroyo would have to stay in the ICU until they are sure that there would be no more complications arising from the surgery.

Friday night, Mrs. Arroyo’s doctors declared the surgery had been completed successfully, and that the confinement in the ICU was only meant to ensure the full recovery of the patient after a long, risky surgery.

Mrs. Arroyo was taken to the hospital last Monday after she felt pain in her neck caused by the damaged cervical spine.