Arroyo may have to wait ’til Wednesday to walk free

MANILA — Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo might have to wait another day before becoming a free woman, as the order for her release did not make it to the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday.

The docket section of the Sandiganbayan closed promptly at 4:30 p.m.; thus no one was no longer available to receive the paperwork for Arroyo’s release from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she had been detained since 2012.

As of late afternoon, the Supreme Court had not yet released its decision to the parties as it announced it would.

“Her lawyers would have to submit the Supreme Court decision to the docket section at 4:30 p.m. Then that goes to us, and only then can we show the order to the Sandiganbayan justices for action,” First Division clerk of court Estelita Rosete told reporters.

Minutes later, Sandiganbayan employees, including Rosete, began closing shop in their offices and clocking out of the building.

Asked if a skeletal force would be left to accept the release order, she said there was none. “No one can receive them now. It looks like the Supreme Court is still finishing [the order],” Rosete said shortly before leaving.

But as of this posting, hope is not lost for Arroyo to be freed within the day.

In the earlier interview, Rosete raised the possibility that Arroyo lawyers could directly show the release order to the police escorts guarding Arroyo and secure her release without going through the Sandiganbayan. “In which case, there’s nothing we can do about it,” she said.

“It really depends on the wording of the decision,” she said.

Told that the dispositive section of the decision talked about “immediate release” for Arroyo, Rosete said it was plausible there was no longer any need to go through the Sandiganbayan.

“That means we’re only to be copy-furnished,” she said.

The Supreme Court announced its 11-4 decision to dismiss the plunder charge against the former President over the alleged misuse of state lottery funds.

The Sandiganbayan First Division was in the middle of trying Arroyo until her lawyers moved to elevate the case to the Supreme Court, arguing the prosecution had failed to present strong evidence against her.  SFM

RELATED VIDEO