200 guests expected at Arroyo’s 3-day birthday celebration

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo celebrated her 67th birthday Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), where she has been under hospital arrest for the past three years.

Arroyo, now a member of the House of Representatives, was joined by family and friends for the celebration, which began with a 10 a.m. Mass, a source said.

Arroyo is facing plunder charges in the Sandiganbayan for her alleged involvement in the misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The source said Arroyo’s family stayed with her at the VMMC presidential suite where she is detained.

Visitors began arriving around 9 a.m. Saturday. They included Arroyo’s lawyers, ex-congressmen Prospero Pichay and Danilo Suarez, ex-agriculture secretary Arthur Yap and her former spokesman Gary Olivar.

The former president was expecting around 200 guests for her three-day celebration, the source said.

The Sandiganbayan earlier allowed Arroyo to have her family with her from 9 a.m. Friday to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

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