Police prepare room for Arroyo’s detention

2:22 am | Monday, November 21st, 2011

Policemen secure the St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City after an arrest warrant for alleged electoral sabotage was served to former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. ARNOLD ALMACEN/INQUIRER

It’s not first class but it will do.

The Southern Police District (SPD) has begun sprucing up a room in its camp in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City should the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) order that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo be held there.

Arroyo is currently under hospital arrest at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig on charges of electoral sabotage.

The SPD’s public information office was rearranged to accommodate a cot on which Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative, could lie while in detention, according to SPD spokesperson, Chief Inspector Jenny Tecson.

“We have been instructed by our officer in charge to begin preparing for the eventuality of the former President’s detention in our headquarters,” Tecson said in a phone interview.

The air-conditioned room measures 3 by 6 meters and has a sink with running water. A modest bathroom is off to one side.

An official of the Catholic Church’s prison ministry said Arroyo could spend detention under the care of a hospital or even the comforts of her home.

But militant groups said no special treatment should be given to Arroyo.

Before its conversion, the public information office also served as a library and lounge for reporters covering the SPD, whose jurisdiction covers the cities of Makati, Pasay, Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa, and the municipality of Pateros.

Senior Superintendent James Bucayu, deputy district director for administration and SPD officer in charge, wanted the room to be ready by Monday morning when Pasay RTC Judge Jesus Mupas receives the return of the arrest warrant from the police, Tecson said.

Humanitarian reasons

Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, said the commission would not object to a hospital or a house arrest for Arroyo.

“For humanitarian reasons, it should be provided,” Diamante told reporters, citing the bad conditions prisoners suffer under the current jail system. “They can’t confine her in our jails.”

He also pointed to Arroyo’s poor health condition, not her being a “very important person,” as the main reason why the former President should be allowed to be placed under either a hospital or house arrest.

“Health-wise… that should be the No. 1 consideration,” Diamante said.

But he said the same treatment must also be accorded to inmates with medical conditions who are languishing in cramped detention cells with deficient health facilities.

The Commission on Prison Pastoral Care is advocating restorative justice, which includes better conditions in the country’s jail facilities and humane treatment for prisoners, especially the sick and elderly.

Protest at hospital

To drive home their point that Arroyo should not be given special treatment, some 20 men, women and children on Sunday staged a protest at St. Luke’s Medical Center.

They popped out of two vehicles with placards and attempted to proceed to the hospital driveway. Police officers pushed them to a sidewalk in front of the hospital.

Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario, Taguig City police chief, told the protesters belonging to Bayan Muna, Selda and Health Alliance for Democracy that they did not have a permit to carry out any mass action there.

The police chief gave the protesters 10 minutes to air their gripes and demands. The group then dispersed peacefully.

Police on Friday served the warrant of arrest on Arroyo in connection with the electoral sabotage charges filed by the Commission on Elections in the Pasay City RTC. She was booked, fingerprinted and photographed in her hospital room on Saturday.

Originally posted at 01:01 am | Monday, Nov. 21, 2011

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Tags: 2007 senatorial elections , Arroyo health , Arroyo travel , Benigno Aquino III , Comelec-DOJ Panel , Crime , electoral sabotage , Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo , Government , Judiciary , Justice , law , Politics , Southern police district , Supreme Court

Anonymous

Mr. Diamante: Its your very intentions that distort the very foundation of justice in this country. You and your bishops should take a course in constitutional law! You and cahoots simply dont understand justice!

You and your church tolerated the theft that robbed this country of dignity and chance to prove to the world that we’re no basket case. You “holy people: should stop pretending to be one–you’re part of Mrs. Arroyo’s communion of corruption.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QA4RLMR7R7ZX2J7GQXO4VB4PCE Tia

Huwag makinig sa mga pari na yan…..Tingnan mo abroad or sa Pinas do they have credibility???????? No more, so don’t listen to those ok? Like the RH Bill pumapapel sila some priests have kids of their own……They’re hypocrite people.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QA4RLMR7R7ZX2J7GQXO4VB4PCE Tia

Sanay yang mga pari na yan sa walang justice tingnan niyo pagnagkasala sila ilipat sila nang bagong places instead na ikulong sila or may money settlement. I am not judging them, but in reality wala silang CREDIBILITY. Di dapat silang tularan sa lipunan.

Anonymous

Greetings, Tia

May nakausap akong pari [dalawang linggo lamang ang nakakaraan] tungkol sa pinatatakbo nilang paaralan. Hindi raw naman siya interesado kung kumita o hindi ang pagpapatakbo ng paaralan dahil wala naman siyang natatanggap na salapi mula doon. Kung may pera lang pala ang interes?
Mabilis siyang magsabi na napakadali para sa isang ina na may limang anak na asikasuhin ang lahat ng dadalhin ng bawat bata sa paaralan tuwing umaga dahil simple lang daw ang dapat gawin ng ina. Siguro ay dapat gayahin ang pari na may “vow of poverty” ngunit may mga alila sa convento na naghahanda ng damit, sapatos at lahat ng pangangailangan niya umaga at gabi, naghahain ng saganang pagkain, naglilinis ng kanyang kotse. Sa maikling suma, gayahin ang pamumuhay ng paring ito bilang isang prinsipe.Nakasalubong ko siya 3 araw ang nakaraan— humihingal sa jogging. Kailangang mag-jogging dahil maganang kumain at walang ikinikilos [may mga alila na araw gabi nagsisilbi]. Napakataba niya sa masaganang pagkain sa convento habang may namamatay sa karamdamang dulot ng malnutrisyon sa kanyang parish.

Anonymous

With the comfort and privacy of the air-conditioned 3×6 meters room and a modest bathroom with sink and running water, I am sure many poor Filipino living in shanties would like to trade places with her.

Anonymous

thats normally good for 20

Anonymous

My God! This is trully a ‘trial by publicity’ thing! Preparing a room for somebody not yet convicted of any crime? My God, what’s happening? Hindi nga nila alam na may new appointment si Danding C. from PNoy. Sus, maria e jose!

Anonymous

If it’s arrest on a non bailable offence, will you not be jailed until acquitted or until charges are dropped? Perhaps we should read the law and find out first before asking God.

Trial by publicity means there is no formal charge. There is.

Anonymous

… There is (are) no criminal charges yet kaya publicity lang lahat. Perhaps we should know first the Laws of God and find out if the laws of men are Godly …

Anonymous

“But he said the same treatment must also be accorded to inmates with
medical conditions who are languishing in cramped detention cells with
deficient health facilities.” to quote Diamante.
Tell that to Danny Lim who begged the court to consider bringing a MGen Boy Miranda to a hospital, when the latter with hypertension, fell and lost consciousness while in detention during Gloria’s term. He was not even allowed to go until several months later.( I got this from a credible blogger Reyna Elena).
I guess we can’t correct a mistake with another mistake. But are we not pushing the envelop to the edge if we humanly treat only Gloria? How can you guarantee Mr. Diamante that same treatment will be accorded to all inmates that are sick?
I thought I would ask and you can’t!
Anonymous

it said:….Police prepare room for Arroyo’s detention….It’s not first class but it will do…..

…the guys in the “kapulisan” trying to earn an extra media mileage must be having their small brains in their balls instead at their heads!!!

…your chief can use that room for his afternoon nap….at the expense of filipino taxpayers!!!
Anonymous

To the people at large, and to the lawyers on both sides of the controversy over Gloria Arroyo’s claims of privileges for her alleged medical condition:

*On 18 November 2011, Gloria Arroyo was served a Warrant of Arrest as a principal suspect charged with the crime of Electoral Sabotage;*Gloria Arroyo, through her doctors and lawyers, insist on being accorded such privileges including, but not limited to, being accorded the privilege of the detention of the arrested suspect within a medical facility during the period of her arrest instead of detention in a regular prison;

*Gloria Arroyo, through her doctors and lawyers, offers as justification for her insistence to be allowed to stay in a medical facility during the period of her arrests, the claims of her doctors that her medical condition warrants confinement and specialized medical interventions within a medical facility;

*Gloria Arroyo, through her doctors and lawyers, refuse to submit for verification by independent medical authorities the claims of her doctors that her medical condition warrants the detention of the arrested suspect within a medical facility;

In summary, the arrested suspect in a criminal case puts forward a claim to privilege, the alleged justification for the claim to privilege is presented, and the party or parties offering the alleged justification for the claim to privilege REFUSE TO VERIFY the veracity and factual accuracy of the said allegation that Gloria has a medical condition that warrants confinement and specialized medical interventions within a medical facility.

In refusing to prove the validity of the offered justification for Gloria Arroyo to be accorded the privilege of an arrested suspect being detained in a medical facility, IPSO FACTO, Gloria Arroyo, her doctors and her lawyers themselves render VOID AND INVALID their own claim for Gloria Arroyo to be accorded the privilege of the detention of the arrested suspect within a medical facility.

The suggestion offered here is for an independent verification of Arroyo’s allegations that she has a medical condition that warrants her stay in a special medical facility.

Should Arroyo refuse to submit her claims to independent verification, detain her in a regular prison cell.

As for the Supreme Court:
If the reason for the law ceases to exist, the law itself ceases to exist.

Also: if there be a need for special treatment of suspects and convicts with medical conditions, there are thousands and thousands of poor, powerless and sick prisoners more deserving of positive government action.

Police prepare room for Arroyo’s detention

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