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Ducat ends fast as health takes turn for worse
MANILA, Philippines -- Two days into what he vowed would be an indefinite hunger strike, hostage taker Armando “Jun” Ducat was forced to end his fast after his health deteriorated.
Lawyer Antonious Collado yesterday said his 56-year-old client was on his second day of fasting when his urine turned “reddish,” a sign that his kidneys were not properly functioning.
He added that Ducat also had to stop drinking his maintenance medicines because these were supposed to be taken on a full stomach.
“He was advised by his doctors to eat so he could drink his medicines,” Collado said. Ducat was still recuperating after undergoing angioplasty two weeks before he took 26 children and four of their teachers hostage on March 28.
Ducat stopped eating on April 16 after he and his companion, Caezar Carbonell, were charged in the Manila Regional Trial Court with several counts of serious illegal detention, two counts of slight illegal detention and violating the election gun ban.
Collado said they filed a motion for judicial determination for probable cause at the sala of Judge Amelia Tria-Infante yesterday.
“We felt there was no probable cause but the fiscals still went on to file the charges against the two men,” he said.
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