Arroyo asks court’s nod to travel to Germany for stem cell treatment

Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

Former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has asked the Sandiganbayan’s nod for her to go to Germany to consult with medical experts there for possible stem cell treatment.

In her motion for leave to travel abroad, Arroyo pleaded for the compassion of the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division which is hearing her two graft charges and a breach of code of conduct charge in connection with the allegedly anomalous National Broadband Network-ZTE deal (NBN-ZTE).

She asked the court to allow her to travel with her husband, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, to Munich, Germany for a medical consultation from Sept. 20 to 29, and a short vacation in Paris, France from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

Arroyo is suffering from cervical spondylosis, a degenerative disease of the bones and cartilage of the neck. She had also complained of “generalized body weakness, persistent pain over the nuchal and left shoulder with numbness of both hands and frequent episodes of choking,” according to the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where she had been detained for plunder for four years before her release.

Arroyo said she also plans to meet with the Filipino communities in both countries.

Arroyo also asked the court’s nod for her to travel to Hong Kong from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 to attend a family reunion.

In an interview after she donated dialysis equipment to the VMMC, Arroyo said she would probably undergo stem cell treatment in Germany.

In her motion, Arroyo said she is not a flight risk, assuring the court that she would return to the Philippines because she was a former president, vice president, and senator and an incumbent representative of Pampanga in Congress.

She also said her family in the Philippines is the “source of her strength and support,” and that she owns real properties in the country.

Arroyo added that she has every reason to return to the country “to face the remaining charges against her and to clear her name.”

“President Arroyo is willing and ready to comply with such conditions as the Honorable Court may deem necessary to impose on her travel abroad in order to guarantee her return to the Philippines,” Arroyo said in her motion.

Arroyo was charged with two counts of graft for approving the NBN deal despite being disadvantageous to government and despite knowing its irregularities. She was also accused of having personal gain in the contract.

The former President was accused of violating Section 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when she allegedly fast tracked the approval of the project despite being disadvantageous to government.

Arroyo was charged with graft with her husband and former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos, who the prosecution alleged both used their influence to facilitate the approval of the project.

The former first gentleman also filed his motion for leave to travel abroad to accompany his wife.

READ: Mike Arroyo asks court nod for Europe, HK trips with Gloria 

Mrs. Arroyo was charged with a second graft offense for violating Section 3(i) of the anti-graft law when she allegedly approved the NBN project for personal gain despite knowing the irregularities in the project.

READ: Arroyo pleads not guilty 3 times to NBN-ZTE graft raps

The prosecution said among the anomalies Arroyo knew was the attempt of Abalos to bribe National Economic Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Romulo Neri with P200 million to immediately approve the project despite lack of public bidding.

Lastly, Arroyo was charged with one count of violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act 6713 for having lunch and playing golf with ZTE officials while the broadband project proposal was still being assessed by government.

READ: What Went Before: The NBN-ZTE deal

Arroyo was accused of violating Section 7(d) of the Code of Conduct which penalizes solicitation or acceptance of gifts in connection with any transaction of government.

The 2007 NBN-ZTE project would have interconnected government offices nationwide through broadband technology.

Arroyo’s NBN-ZTE case is up for resolution after she filed her demurrer to evidence in her bid to dismiss the case for insufficiency of evidence.

READ: Arroyo denies graft charges in broadband deal with China firm 

Arroyo was put under hospital detention for four years until the Supreme Court ordered her release after dismissing her plunder case over the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds from 2008 to 2010.

The High Court ruled that her approval of the P366-million intelligence fund releases was only ministerial and did not constitute an “overt act” to commit plunder. RAM

READ: SC: Arroyo OK on fund release not overt act of plunder