Palma, Vidal backing GMA hospital arrest

He had barely warmed his seat as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and already Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma had to speak out on the ongoing sociopolitical saga that is former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Palma and his predecessor Ricardo Cardinal Vidal welcomed the reported transfer of Arroyo to Veterans Memorial Medical Center, a government-owned hospital.

Palma called on the citizenry “not to lose sight of charity” in dealing with Arroyo.

“While we want justice, we must remember we are also a nation of charity. We exhort people to pray that we would be guided to know the truth,” Palma told reporters (see related story on page 11).

Palma said he earlier suggested that Arroyo be confined at the Veterans Medical Center or her home.

Vidal, who said he earlier visited Arroyo in her house, noted that he saw that Arroyo was “walking very slowly” but wasn’t using a wheelchair.

When asked about the fate of Arroyo and former president Joseph Estrada, Vidal said it’s not unusual.

He said he won’t cast any judgment against Arroyo and Estrada.

“Let us see if the courts will be able to solve this and that all the people responsible for this will be able to settle this peacefully,” Vidal said.

Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 issued the order to move Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative, from her luxury suite at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City to the state-run VMMC at a hearing yesterday morning.

Mupas’ order effectively resolved the defense’s motion for a five-day extension of Arroyo’s stay at St. Luke’s and the prosecution’s motion for her immediate transfer to a government hospital.

President Aquino also dismissed claims by Arroyo’s camp about a supposed plot by the administration to kill the ex-president.

“You’re asking too long a question about a work of fiction. I’m starting to look like a fool answering it,” Mr. Aquino said in Filipino when asked about the allegation yesterday.

The unverified report was sprung on the media the other day by Elena Bautista-Horn, spokesperson of the now Pampanga representative.

Horn claimed the plot was dubbed “Put the Little Girl to Sleep” and that the report came from a supposedly A-1 source in the government.

“What we promised is conviction, for those who commit a crime to be convicted. If they have proof, let them present it. But if they don’t have any proof, that would be a throwback to past practices,” Mr. Aquino said. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol with an Inquirer report