Gloria Arroyo could be freed within the day–lawyer

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Although she faces other charges, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was likely to walk out of detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center any time Wednesday as soon as a suburban Manila court processes and accepts her P1-million bail.

“The moment the cash bond is accepted, the court will start the process of serving the release orders to the agencies concerned. Hopefully as soon as she can, she will be released from detention,” said Ray Montri Santos, a lawyer representing Arroyo in the election sabotage case filed against her.

Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112 granted Arroyo’s petition for bail, citing the failure of the prosecution to present strong evidence against her.

Santos said Arroyo is facing two other cases—one in Sandiganbayan on the NBN-ZTE deal and the plunder case at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“For the Sandiganbayan case, she is out on bail. For the second, which was recently highlighted during the president’s Sona, the Ombudsman has yet to conclude its preliminary investigation” he said.

As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Pasay court has received the P1-million cash bond and Arroyo’s lawyers were simply waiting for Mupas to issue the release order.