We’ll be checking Arroyo’s food in light of plot–Topacio

MANILA, Philippines—A lawyer of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Saturday said her camp would be checking out the food being served to the Pampanga congresswoman at the St. Luke’s Medical Center as the alleged assassination plot against her may very well involve poisoning her.

“The information that she will be poisoned came from an official of a law enforcement unit who is still active and has access to this kind of information,” said lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

Asked if Arroyo’s recent bout of diarrhea had something to do with the slay plot, Topacio said: “We never thought of that possibility, but we will look into the food served to her.”

He said that they received various messages every day, “but this one we consider serious because of the source of the information.”

He said the police had talked to them about the supposed plot to kill the former president after they filed a complaint about the “Oplan put the little girl to sleep” assassination threat.

“We had the death threat blottered, but I just don’t know which station,” Topacio said.

Topacio said the slay plot against Arroyo could be the work of a third party trying to destabilize the administration of President Aquino.

“It could be from a group of disgruntled persons who want to destabilize the government and use Arroyo’s supposed assassination plot,” he said, adding that the government should take the information seriously.