MANILA, Philippines – Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hopes the country’s leaders would uphold the rule of the law and the Constitution, as she lamented what she said was the continued campaign to vilify her and her family.
In a statement sent Thursday through her spokesperson Elena Bautista Horn, Arroyo also said she herself would respect and abide by the court’s rules and orders.
Arroyo issued the statement on the day of her arraignment for electoral sabotage, where she entered a plea of not guilty.
“I am submitting myself to this process not only to clear my name but also as part of my commitment to respect and abide by the rules and orders of our courts. It is my fervent hope that our leaders uphold and our people have faith in the constitution and the rule of law,” she said.
She also said she would go through the proper process even if there is a campaign to malign her.
“Despite the continuous and massive vilification campaign against me and my family, I have always said that I will dispute all charges in the proper forum,” she said.
Arroyo is currently detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City following her arrest on Nov. 18, 2011 for electoral sabotage.
She stands accused of conspiring with election officials to ensure a 12-0 victory for the senatorial candidates of her Team Unity in 2007 and for allegedly causing the tampering of provincial certificates of canvass of votes, statement of votes and summary statement of votes for Maguindanao province.
Arroyo is also facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for approving the national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corporation, a project that was later canceled amid allegations of overpricing and bribery.
But she has yet to be ordered arrested and arraigned for the graft charges. The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division has not determined probable cause in the cases, which is a requirement for issuing an arrest warrant.
The Sandiganbayan ordered Ombudsman prosecutors to first complete the preliminary investigation of the cases by allowing Arroyo, as well as her co-accused, to file a motion for reconsideration on the Ombudsman resolution indicting them for graft.