Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday granted the plea of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to allow her family and immediate relatives to spend more time with her at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) this weekend to celebrate her 67th birthday.
The antigraft court’s First Division trying the plunder case against Arroyo said it would allow immediate relatives two overnight stays at the VMMC from 9 a.m. on April 4 to 9:30 p.m. of April 6.
April 5 is Arroyo’s birthday.
The prosecution did not oppose the birthday motion during Wednesday’s hearing on the motion.
After the hearing, the anti-graft court immediately gave her family a pass from April 4 to 6 to stay at VMMC.
Arroyo, together with 10 former top officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Commission in Audit, are defendants in the alleged plunder of P366 million in intelligence funds of the charity agency.
Arroyo has been under hospital arrest at the VMMC since Oct. 4, 2012, because of the charge.
Amended protocol
Under the Amended Security Protocol issued by the PNP-PSPO, visitation will only be allowed for Arroyo’s immediate family which includes her husband, children, grandchildren and siblings.
The same rules bar anyone of them from staying overnight.
Defense lawyers said allowing Arroyo to enjoy the visit of her relatives and immediate family was endorsed by her attending doctors. The doctors said it would be helpful to her health condition, which has steadily deteriorated while under hospital detention.
The court had also granted a similar privilege to her in December last year when it allowed her family to stay with her for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
“Celebrating her birthday … being with her husband and other immediate family members … is without doubt in keeping with the revered Christian and Filipino traditions of unity and togetherness of the family,” her lawyers said.
Defense lawyer Modesto Ticman Jr. said family and immediate relatives include the husband or spouse, children, grandchildren, uncle and aunt, fiancé and siblings.
Earlier, Arroyo tried to ask for a three-day birthday furlough to be with her constituents in Lubao, Pampanga, but it was denied by the court.
She also has not given up on her plea to the court to be allowed to post bail.—With Tetch Torres, INQUIRER.net
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Originally posted: 9:11 am | Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014