Santiago: Arroyo should be allowed to ‘relax’ under house arrest

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. SENATE POOL FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Since she has neither tried to flee nor destabilized the government, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should be placed under house arrest, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said.

Santiago said Arroyo, detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on plunder charges since October 2012, has been very ill. She was also losing weight.

She said Arroyo, who now represents Pampanga in the House of Representatives, should  be placed under house arrest out of courtesy, if not necessity, “in order for her to relax.’’

“She’s in pain and suffering,’’ Santiago said in a telephone interview Sunday, citing a newspaper photos showing the gaunt Arroyo entertaining visitors during the holidays. “I’m worried that she might die in detention.’’

After all, the former Philippine head of state has not attempted to fly out of the country, or agitated her followers to overthrow the government, Santiago said.

Santiago noted that in the years that followed President Joseph Estrada’s ouster in January 2001 and during his trial for plunder, Arroyo was hounded by street protests. Now that she’s detained, none of her followers has mounted protests against the Aquino administration as Arroyo herself seemed to have “dropped into sinkhole,’’ she added.

“What is the basis for insisting that she serve out her detention in that hospital? Only if she presents a danger to society. There being no indication that she will start a revolution, or initiate an economic paralysis by calling on her followers, then she should be placed under house arrest,’’ Santiago said. “We have not heard a peep from her accusing the government of illegal detention and arbitration. She doesn’t try to roil society with her plight.’’

And since there has been no attempt to escape, “there was no more reason to hold her’’ at the VMMC, she added.

“I’m one of those who think that the better part of justice is to allow her to be placed under house arrest like President Estrada,’’ Santiago said, recalling that Arroyo herself allowed house arrest for Estrada while being tried for plunder.

Arroyo pardoned Estrada weeks after he was convicted of plunder in 2007.

After visiting Arroyo, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz called for house detention for her, saying her continued hospital detention would be seen as government persecution.

VIPs, including Estrada, former President Fidel V. Ramos and Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Bishop Leo Alconga of the Jesus Is Lord Movement, also paid Arroyo a visit during the holidays.

Arroyo is facing trial for alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds. She has denied any wrongdoing.

Santiago said Arroyo has not been convicted, and regardless of the court’s determination of the strength of the evidence against her, she should be allowed house arrest.

The senator, who claims to be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, said she has not seen nor talked with Arroyo for a year now. She, however, sent the former president a Christmas present.

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