(Eagle News)– Former senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan for a two-day furlough so he can undergo video colonoscopy after blood tests showed he had high levels of carcinoembryonic antigen or CEA.
“The doctor advised me to undergo colonoscopy, up and down, gastroscopy tsaka colonoscopy… Mayroon lang mga elevated blood test na nakita, abnormalities din,” Estrada told reporters in an interview.
In his motion filed before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Estrada said he plans to undergo the video colonoscopy at the soonest possible time at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
The CEA is said to be a tumor marker, especially for cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, and high levels of CEA could indicate progression or recurrence of the cancer, according to MedicineNet.com.
Estrada also indicated in his motion that the procedure usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, but the preparation and post-procedure observations require 24 hours each.
Estrada is facing plunder and 11 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing P183.793-million worth of kickbacks by allocating his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
