Arroyo can invoke Enrile ruling in seeking bail, says ex-justice

A former head of the antigraft court said former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should be allowed to get out of her hospital detention following the Supreme Court (SC) decision granting bail to Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile.

Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval told a news forum that both Arroyo and Enrile were charged with nonbailable offenses with the same set of physical circumstances—both are senior citizens and have serious health concerns.

Sandoval, however, said that the Enrile decision would not apply to Enrile’s coaccused in the pork barrel scam—Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.—because they were not old and were not sickly.

At the the Usaping Balita News Forum in Quezon City, Sandoval said: “Humanitarian reasons can be considered in favor of the former president. We cannot deny that she has also done so many important progress in our country and she is now sickly.”

Sandoval said that just like Enrile, Arroyo had surrendered voluntarily and was not a flight risk.

Sandoval said that it was President Aquino who promoted him as head of the Sandiganbayan in September 2010. He said Arroyo had by-passed him several times during her administration. Sandoval retired at the age of 70 in June 2011.

Sandoval said that even before the Enrile ruling, Arroyo already had a forceful argument to get bail since all of her coaccused in the plunder case involving P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office had either been acquitted or granted bail.

“There is this side circumstance that the coconspirators have been granted bail, one was cleared. I would have voted to allow Mrs. Arroyo to be free on bail,” Sandoval said.

The House of Representatives has also passed a resolution urging the Sandiganbayan to grant Arroyo house arrest.

Arroyo has already been spurned twice in her appeal for bail filed with the SC.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had previously warned that the 8-4 SC decision granting bail to Enrile would set a dangerous precedent that would allow bail to individuals accused of nonbailable offenses like plunder.

When asked if the SC ruling would benefit Estrada and Revilla, Sandoval said it would not.

“Senator Bong cannot be granted bail as there is no humanitarian reason, no mitigating circumstances, no old age, same with Senator Jinggoy,” Sandoval said.