MANILA, Philippines – Detained former senator Jinggoy Estrada submitted to the Sandiganbayan a “very urgent motion” to be allowed to undergo a medical checkup for “extreme pain” in his right shoulder.

Estrada’s lawyers filed the motion before the anti-graft court’s 5th Division late Friday, May 12, after the former senator complained of “extreme pain that needs immediate hospital examination and attention” that same afternoon.

Estrada will face a full-blown trial beginning June 19 for his plunder and graft cases over the pork barrel scam.

Attached to his motion is an April 2016 medical letter from his private physician, Raymond Nuñez, who said Estrada has been suffering pains in his shoulder since last year.

Estrada also cited a 2014 diagnosis by his other doctor, Tyrone Reyes, that he has calcific tendinitis-adhesive capsulitis or “frozen shoulder.” For that he was allowed to undergo therapy sessions at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City in November 2014.

Estrada also said he may have to undergo surgery “if the pain continues to be extremely painful.”

“With due respect to the Honorable Court and not to be interpreted as self-medical examination, accused movant’s extreme pain is similar to what Dr Tyrone Reyes diagnosed in 2014 as calcific tendinitis which may require arthroscopic surgery if the pain continues to be extremely painful,” the motion reads.

Furlough motions usually include the date and time the accused would like to go out of detention, but no such details were included in Estrada’s motion.

The 5th Division clerk of court explained that due to the urgency of the matter, they allowed Estrada’s lawyers to submit the details at a later time before the court decides on the motion.

Last January, the Sandiganbayan allowed Estrada to undergo medical tests because of pain in his left knee.

The last time Estrada was able to temporarily leave his detention cell at Camp Crame was on April 19 for the 80th birthday celebration of his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. – Rappler.com