Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won’t risk int’l ire by fleeing, says lawyer

Former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won’t risk international condemnation by fleeing abroad to avoid prosecution for criminal cases filed against her, her legal spokesperson said on Saturday.

And for thinking about blocking her request to seek medical treatment abroad for a serious ailment, the government has judged her guilty, said lawyer Raul Lambino.

“What they’re doing is they have compared her (Arroyo) to a fugitive criminal capable of going around the world to evade arrest, which she can’t do physically. And with her stature as a former head of state, she can’t do that. Even if she’s going to do that, she will be condemned not only in the Philippines but all over the world,” Lambino said in a phone interview.

Arroyo has thrice written Justice Secretary Leila de Lima asking to be allowed to travel abroad for treatment of her cerebral spondylosis.

Days later she was placed on the immigration watch list since she’s an accused in cases of electoral sabotage being investigated by a joint panel of the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections.

She, however, has been authorized by the House of Representatives to travel to Singapore, Spain, Germany, Italy and the United States from Oct. 22 up to December for medical treatment. But Arroyo cannot leave without DOJ clearance.

De Lima has deferred issuing an allow departure order (ADO) for Arroyo until Health Secretary Enrique Ona shall have evaluated the medical abstract submitted by Arroyo’s physicians.

All this smacks of prejudging Arroyo since the DOJ has not filed a case against her and has no basis to stop her from traveling, Lambino said.

“What they’re doing is portraying her as guilty, and that she ought to be killed as soon as possible. What they’re doing is an unChristian-like treatment and a complete disregard of the basic principles of due process,” he said, adding that he believed De Lima was acting on President Aquino’s orders.

Malacañang said it had not received any request from Arroyo asking to be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Undersecretary Abigail Valte, presidential deputy spokesperson, made the statement after reports attributed to the camp of Arroyo said that her letter to De Lima on the issue of her foreign trip had been forwarded to President Aquino.

“We checked with the office of Executive Secretary (Paquito) Ochoa. No such letter was forwarded to President Aquino. We have not received anything,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB. With a report from Norman Bordadora