Arroyo files motion for bail

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Representative  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday filed a motion for bail in the plunder case she is facing over the alleged misuse of P366 million in state lottery funds.

In filing the motion,  the legal counsel of the former president argued that her hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) is affecting her health.

This is the third time Arroyo filed a bail motion. The court had denied the first two.

The latest motion cited Arroyo’s depression over being  under hospital arrest.

“The adverse and negative effects of depression that are being brought about by her hospital incarceration continues to take its toll on her health,” the motion read.

The motion added that Arroyo should be granted bail because her hospital confinement only worsened her disease.

“Accused is reiterating that the court grant her bail because her continued confinement at the VMMC has not contributed to the improvement of her medical condition but has in fact exacerbated the same,” the motion read.

Arroyo is suffering from cervical spondylosis, a degenerative disease of the bones and cartilage of the neck. She had three surgeries at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in 2011.

She is accused of misusing the funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office  with state prosecutors alleging they went to “fictitious” expenses in the last two and a half   years of her term as president.

The motion also said Arroyo should be granted bail because her other co-accused were also allowed to do so.

“It may not be amiss to state to allow her to be discharged from hospital confinement on baul would serve the constitutional mandate of equal protection of the law,” the motion read.

“Let us not continue to violate her right to be treated as her co-accused and alleged co-conspirators are treated,” it added.

According to a medical certificate from VMMC attached to the motion, the former president continues to feel the ill effects of her three previous surgeries on the spine.

The hospital recommended that Arroyo be allowed to walk daily and to have physical therapy twice a week.

Arroyo and former PCSO officials Rosario Uriarte, Chairman Sergio Valencia, Directors Manuel Morato, Raymundo Roquero, Fatima Valdes, Jose Taruc, Villar and Commisson on Audit official Nilda Plaras were charged of plunder for allegedly conspiring to divert for personal gain at least P366 million in intelligence funds for the PCSO from 2008 to 2010.

Valencia, Morato, Roquero, Taruc and Villar were all granted bail.

Valdes remains at large.

Villar, who was arrested, is waiting for the court decision on his bail petition while Plaras was able to secure an injunction from the Supreme Court.

Arroyo and Aguas are under detention after their bail petitions were denied.

Arroyo has been put under hospital arrest since October 2012.

The anti-graft court fourth division recently suspended Arroyo from public office over her graft case in connection with the $329-million botched broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

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