MANILA, Philippines - A Hong Kong-based human rights group pressed the Philippine government Saturday to provide medical treatment to an ailing suspect in the 1996 murder of ex-Col. Rolando Abadilla.

In a statement posted on its website, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expressed deep concern over the case of Lenido Lumanog, whose condition has been deteriorating following a kidney transplant in April 2003.

"(Lumanog) had a kidney transplant in April 2003 and is supposed to take medication on a daily basis. Due to the lack of adequate treatment he is now experiencing complications. However, the authorities have failed to ensure he is adequately treated," the AHRC said.

AHRC said Lumanog's family had to produce large sums of money to support his medication because the treatment he is getting inside the New Bilibid Prisons is insufficient.

It said it has also written a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture calling for an intervention in this case.

Lenido is one of the five accused convicted for the murder of Abadilla. The appellate review of their case though had dragged on for over 11 years.

Citing a medical abstract by attending physician Caesar Casanova Jr dated Feb. 16, 2007, AHRC said Lenido required 11 prescriptions in various dosages for his ongoing treatment.

It said Casanova also recommended that Lenido should be kept away from “crowded area and congested places," as well as dirty or polluted places since he is prone to infection.

"However, given the poor facilities and conditions inside the jail it is inevitable that he suffers complications. On occasions he has also been denied permission to leave the prison for his regular checkups for failing to obtain a gate pass," the AHRC said.

In June 2007, his lawyer Soliman Santos filed a fourth and urgent motion requesting the Court of Appeals (CA) to make an early decision in the appellate review of the case.

His argument included the medical complications Lenido is experiencing as basis for the CA to urgently conclude its review, which is already long overdue.

Yet, no substantial progress has taken place since, it said.

AHRC also reiterated that CA Justice Agustin Dizon, the presiding justice of the CA's 15th Division who is reviewing the case, is retiring on June 27.

"There are serious concerns that unless Justice Dizon concludes the review before he retires, it will once again be transferred to another justice. This pattern of transfer and unloading by other justices is responsible for the tremendous delay of the case," it said.

On the other hand, the complaint of torture filed by Lenido and his co-accused against the policemen involved in arresting them has likewise shown to substantial progress. The case is currently pending before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law enforcement Agencies (MOLEO).

The last information obtained from their office was on July 16, 2007 where lawyer Santos was informed that the case "is still pending for preliminary investigations." - GMANews.TV

29 March 2008
Link: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86759/HK-group-presses-RP-govt-on-ailing-Abadilla-suspect