RP ambassador in stable condition

RP ambassador in stable condition

JAKARTA (JP): Philippine Ambassador Leonides T. Caday was
reportedly in stable condition and undergoing intensive treatment
here Tuesday night.

Several officials who visited him said the ambassador was
about to undergo surgery on his broken leg, however, till 11 p.m.
Tuesday there was still no official explanation of his condition
from doctors at Medistra Hospital, South Jakarta, where he is now
being treated.

Leonides was taken to Medistra Hospital after receiving
emergency treatment at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital,
Central Jakarta.

Ichramsyah A.R., vice director for medical affairs at Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital, confirmed that the ambassador
suffered broken bones in his leg.

According to Ichramsyah, the ambassador left the hospital in a
stable condition and had requested to be transferred to Medistra
Hospital himself.

Several senior Indonesian officials have already visited the
ambassador.

Leonides, a bachelor, has lived in Indonesia for over a year.
He submitted his credentials as ambassador on March 11, 1999.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab was one of the first
to visit the ambassador at Medistra Hospital on Tuesday evening.

Later at about 8:30 p.m. Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso also met
and briefly chatted with Leonides.

"The condition of the ambassador is good. Fortunately he is
conscious. I'm very concerned with this whole thing," Sutiyoso
remarked.

"He seemed quite moved by my presence and he told me that he
had four fractured bones in his leg. There were also burns on his
body," Sutiyoso told journalists. "I told him to remain strong".

The ambassador is known to usually return home for lunch as
the Philippines Embassy is less than two-kilometers away from his
residence.

It was just as his chauffeur driven car arrived at his
residence for his regular lunchtime break that the explosion tore
into his Mercedes-Benz.

His chauffeur, Indonesian national Eben Eiser, remains in a
critical condition at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

Leonides' diplomatic colleagues immediately condemned the
attack.

Palestinian Ambassador Ribhi Awad, the dean of the diplomatic
corps here, described it as a criminal terrorist attack.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry later also issued a formal
statement condemning the attack saying "such a cowardly and
irresponsible act of terrorism is simply intolerable, aimed at
discrediting the government of Indonesia as well as creating an
atmosphere of fear within the community". (ylt/07)