MANILA, Philippines—Jose Miguel Arroyo is off to Japan and Hong Kong next month to meet with businessmen involved in hydroelectric operations and to get some much needed rest, and said his trip has the approval of his wife, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is in hospital detention.
The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division granted on Wednesday Mike Arroyo’s motion to travel despite the prosecution’s objection, but directed him to post a P90,000 bond before leaving.
Arroyo is to leave for Japan on May 3 and stay there until May 6 before flying to Hong Kong. He will return to the Philippines on May 10.
Arroyo vowed to come home on the scheduled date, and told reporters he was no flight risk. He also said he was innocent until proven guilty, and still has the constitutional right to travel.
“I’m not a flight risk. I will return. It will be just for a week,” he said.
His wife, who is detained on a non-bailable electoral sabotage charge, could not join him. But she did not object to his leaving, he said.
“I have the permission of my wife,” he said in reply to a question about his wife.
In Japan, Arroyo said, he will speak before the Filipino community in Edogawa-Ku in Tokyo on May 5. He will also meet with Japanese businessmen involved in hydroelectric operations, and would try to talk them into investing in the country.
His lawyer, Edna Herrera-Batacan, said her client’s meeting with the businessmen may even help resolve the power supply problem being felt in Mindanao.
Before flying home to the Philippines, Arroyo will go to Hong Kong for rest and recreation.
“I also need to relax,” he said.
Batacan said Arroyo has experienced so much political pressure, and also wants to get away from Manila’s summer heat.
The prosecution objected to Arroyo’s motion asking for permission to travel on the ground that his trip was not urgent and because he failed to provide a schedule of activities.
Arroyo had to seek the Sandiganbayan’s permission before leaving the country because he is facing a graft charge there for his alleged involvement in the approval of the $329 million national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp. He is a co-accused of his wife, as well as former elections chief Benjamin Abalos and former Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza.
The NBN deal was later canceled amid allegations of bribery and overpricing.
Meanwhile, prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman opposed former President Arroyo’s motion for the prosecution to produce for inspection the material evidence they have against her so that she could prepare for the pre-trial.
The prosecution said originals of the evidence are in the court’s possession. It also said the documents that Arroyo had requested were part of the complaints that she had already challenged or disputed when she filed her counter-affidavit during the preliminary investigation.
It said she could not have disputed the allegations earlier without the documents that she was now requesting.
As for Arroyo’s contention that the prosecution should have the written statements given by the witnesses it intends to present, the prosecution said this was “uncalled for.”
“The defense had no business in dictating to the prosecution what written statements or who are the witnesses it must present,” it said.