Surgery on Ramos worries Philippines

Surgery on Ramos worries Philippines

MANILA (Agencies): President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines underwent surgery yesterday for a cholesterol blockage in a main artery that could have been life-threatening, sparking widespread concern over the country's political succession.

Executive Secretary Ruben Torres said the one hour 15 minute operation on the 68-year-old Ramos had been a success.

"The president is already fully conscious and awake after the operation so he can now still perform his duties. It's business as usual," Torres told a news briefing.

The news took the country by surprise even though Ramos had also been briefly hospitalized 10-days earlier. Opposition legislators demanded a full disclosure of Ramos' medical condition, and radio stations were deluged with callers offering prayers for his full recovery.

But Torres denied there had been any attempt to hide the gravity of the president's condition. He said a decision to operate was only taken late Sunday after Ramos was admitted to the Makati Medical Center.

"This has major implications, so we wanted to be sure that the decision (surgery) was certain," he said.

"The block was removed. The president is out of anesthesia, awake and all vital signs are within normal limits," the president's physician, Raul Fores, said in a bulletin.

The bulletin said the operation to remove cholesterol in the right carotid in the neck was "an uneventful procedure."

The artery supplies blood to the brain and Health Secretary Carmencita Reodica told a news conference that without the operation Ramos could have suffered a stroke.

Ramos is a fit, youthful man for his age, works up to 18 hours a day, regularly plays golf and is known to enjoy a twirl on a dance floor. But Fores said he would have to slow down and watch his diet, adding the president suffered from "the usual problems of people above 60".

"You get this illness from eating too much cheese and chocolates," he said. "For the first time, he has listened (to doctors advice). He realizes he's got to slow down.

The Philippine Stock Exchange composite index dropped by 2.1 percent at one point, which analysts said was caused partly by the news on Ramos. The market recovered slightly to close just 1.3 percent down.

The medical problems of the Philippine leader fueled speculation about who would succeed Ramos, even though his six year term does not end until May 1998.

The operation came after weeks of debate over a controversial campaign to amend the constitution so that Ramos could stand for a second term. The president has said he does not want to stand again and other candidates are now starting to come forward.

Ramos was detained at the Makati Medical Center on Dec. 14 and 15 because of a viral infection.

Tests later showed that there was a "significant carotid block which is usually cholesterol-related," leading the doctors to recommend surgery, Torres said.

An emergency cabinet meeting was convened yesterday to "assess if the president is able or unable to perform his duties," he said.

"Because of the medical bulletin that was issued, the cabinet has said that the president is able to continue with his duties, although ... it will be on a limited activity," Torres said, adding Ramos would leave the hospital on Christmas Day or the day after.

There would be no out-of-town trips or speaking engagements, he said. "But he can work on papers."

It was unclear how long Ramos would take to fully recover.

Under the constitution, Vice President Joseph Estrada would take over as head of state if Ramos died or had to stand down.

Estrada, an outspoken former movie actor, is unpopular with businesses.

But the president's chief aide said Ramos had instructed him Sunday "to relay to him (Estrada) that he is the next in line so in case of any eventuality, we have to be ready and he should be here in the (Philippines) all the time."

When asked if he had been made acting president, Estrada told reporters: "No need. The president is very much alive." He expressed confidence that Ramos would be soon back at work but added that he thought "the president is overworked."

Defense Secretary Renato de Villa denied reports that the military had been put on red alert because of Ramos' operation.