Arroyo asks court’s nod to attend brother’s burial
Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday has asked the Sandiganbayan’s nod to attend the burial of his late brother Arturo Macapagal, who succumbed to prostate cancer on Tuesday.
In a supplement to her urgent motion to attend the wake and burial, Arroyo through her counsels asked the court to allow her to attend the funeral and the wake of her half brother.
She said she hoped she would be given more time after the court only allowed her to attend the wake on Aug. 11, 12, and 14 only.
“If it is not too much to ask the Honorable Court, she is hoping to attend the wake on Aug. 13 (from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) as well,” Arroyo said.
The incumbent Pampanga representative also asked the court’s nod to attend the funeral Mass and interment rites and post-interment prayers at the Heritage Park in Taguig on Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as the ninth day Novena on Aug. 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at her brother’s residence in Pasig City.
The former president appealed to the court’s compassion, saying she no longer saw her brother alive when the court granted her a five-hour furlough to visit her brother on Aug. 11. Arroyo was granted furlough in the afternoon. Her brother passed away Tuesday morning.
“She lost the opportunity to see him alive one last time when he passed away… She was a few hours too late. She could not be there for him in the last few days of his life. She is hoping to be there for him for four additional hours in his death,” Arroyo’s motion read.
“An extra day in the company of family in this moment of bereavement will help assuage the terrible pain of losing a brother to a terrible illness. On the other hand, the extra four hours will not do anyone any harm,” it added.
In a resolution issued on Wednesday, the antigraft court First Division gave the prosecution a day to comment on Arroyo’s urgent motion for leave.
Arroyo has been under hospital detention for plunder over the alleged misuse of at least P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds for personal gain from 2008 to 2010. TVJ
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