De Lima bars ill Arroyo from treatment abroad
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima has turned down the request of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad while she faces complaints of electoral fraud.
“My order is the denial of the request,” De Lima told a news conference late Tuesday afternoon, saying there was no immediate need for Arroyo to see medical specialists outside of the country for her hypoparathyroidism.
De Lima, who has placed Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo on the immigration watch list, said that the former president’s condition was not life threatening and that “she has been recuperating fairly well … with treatment from local doctors and local facilities.”
At the same time, the DoJ secretary noted that the countries chosen by Arroyo seek treatment have no extradition treaty with the Philippines.
“The countries of destination itself, I cannot avoid being concerned that these countries have no existing extradition treaties with us,” De Lima said.
Although Arroyo has promised to return to the country after the treatment, De Lima said the duration of medical treatment should be considered.
“The treatment can last indefinitely,” she said.
Arroyo is being treated for pinched nerve, hypoparathyroidism and bone mineral disorder.
In a request sent on October 20, Arroyo said she was to seek medical help in the US, Germany, and Switzerland. In another request sent the day after, the US and Switzerland were replaced by Singapore and Austria as destination countries. And in her last letter sent on October 24, Arroyo said she would go to Germany, Singapore, and Spain.
“But the latest letter had no indication that it is the final list,” De Lima said.
De Lima said President Benigno Aquino approved her recommendation in her 11-page report to Malacañang.
The Arroyos questioned the legality of the watch list before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, saying they have not been proven guilty and their rights were violated.
Two complaints of electoral sabotage have been filed against the Arroyo couple alleging they rigged congressional polls in 2007 by tampering with results.
While prosecutors decide whether to file formal charges, the 64-year-old former president sought permission to get treatment abroad after undergoing three surgeries on her cervical spine.
Arroyo stepped down last year and was then elected to Congress. Her aides deny the allegations against her and accuse Aquino of political persecution.
The government frequently bars suspects in high-profile cases from traveling because it says they are flight risks. But the decisions are often political — when Arroyo was in office, she allowed ousted President Joseph Estrada to have knee surgery in Hong Kong despite being on trial for corruption. Imelda Marcos, the widow of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was permitted to travel abroad while answering charges of misuse of funds.
In an interview in Tuesday’s Manila Standard Today newspaper, Arroyo said she was told by doctors she was suffering from “an extremely rare bone disease,” was swallowing 15 tablets a day, had lost weight and needed further tests abroad.
“I feel like any human being would feel not knowing the illness,” she said.
During her nine years in office, Arroyo survived several coup attempts by disgruntled soldiers as well as impeachment proceedings initiated by the opposition, who accused her of corruption, election fraud and human rights abuses.
She came to power in 2001 as Estrada’s separately elected vice president after he was ousted in a military-backed uprising.
Her successor, a former senator and one of Arroyo’s staunchest critics, has made the prosecution of corrupt officials a cornerstone of his administration. Aquino has vowed to bring Arroyo to justice, accusing her of promoting a decade of corruption and impunity in the country.
Separately, Arroyo’s husband is facing a complaint of passing off two helicopters he allegedly owned as new and selling them to the national police in 2009.
The couple’s son and his wife also were charged with tax evasion, which they deny.
