INQUIRER.net poll: 55% say court is right in granting bail to Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—Many Filipinos think the Pasay Regional Trial Court did the right thing when it ordered former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo freed on bail, an INQUIRER.net poll showed.

To the question Do you agree with the court decision that granted bail to ex-President Gloria M. Arroyo, 5,701 or 55 percent of the total 10,365 respondents said ‘Yes’.

Meanwhile,  4664 or 45 percent said ‘No’.

After being placed under a hospital arrest for eight months on charges of electoral sabotage, Arroyo was ordered released by Judge Jesus Mupas after posting a P1 million bail on July 25.

Mupas said the evidence presented by the prosecution was too weak to deny Arroyo bail.

He dismissed the evidence presented by prosecutors linking Arroyo to the alleged vote rigging in Maguindanao province in the 2007 elections.

Mupas cited the insufficiency of the testimony of former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas.