Jinggoy Estrada: Give Arroyo security escorts for medical tests abroad

MANILA, Philippines—The government could consider sending security escorts to accompany former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo abroad to ensure she would return to face the non-bailable criminal charges against her.

Senate President Pro-tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada recalled Arroyo did this exactly when she allowed his father former president Joseph Estrada to fly to Hong Kong in 2004 for knee surgery.

The senator said allowing Arroyo to fly with security escorts would allow the government to monitor her whereabouts in real time.

However, he added that the government should do this only after plunder and electoral sabotage cases have been filed against Arroyo.

Ex-president Estrada stayed at the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital for nearly a month from late December 2004 to early January 2005 while he recovered from knee surgery.

“There were police escorts that time,” his son noted in a phone call to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“So maybe we can do the same thing with Mrs. Arroyo.  To assure ourselves of her real whereabouts,” he added.

Estrada reminded Arroyo that the Aquino administration was still being fair to her despite its refusal to let her leave for treatment.

“Three months after my father stepped down (in January 2001), we were already in jail,” recalled the senator, who was charged with plunder along with his father.

“Just to stress how quick everything was, the Sta. Rosa jail facility that we were detained in was ready and waiting for us that soon.  Siya nga may due process under Noynoy (President Aquino’s nickname), kami wala (She’s getting due process under Noynoy’s gov’t, there was none for us),” Estrada complained.

Apart from Estrada, other senators said Arroyo could not blame the government if it was hesitant to allow her to leave despite her delicate medical condition.

In all, the senators said Arroyo has been suffering from a crisis of credibility that has made it difficult for the government to grant her travel request.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said Arroyo has not been forthright about her itinerary and her real purpose for going away, thus aggravating doubts about her true intentions for wanting to leave.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said “the temptation for Arroyo and husband Mike to flee and evade criminal prosecution cannot be simply ignored.”

“Should the Arroyos leave the country never to return, it would be a big blow to the anti-corruption efforts of this administration,” he added in a text message.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima noted “varying changes” in the line-up of countries that Arroyo presented in her itineraries.

In her last letter to the Department of Justice, Arroyo asked to be allowed to travel to the Singapore, Germany and Spain.

In three previous letters, Arroyo listed among her destinations the United States, Singapore, Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Lacson recalled that in some instances, Arroyo also sought permission to attend international meetings not connected to seeking treatment for her medical condition.

“If she were seeking treatment, why does she need to talk to (former president Bill) Clinton?  Or why go to Switzerland to attend a conference? It seems she is not really interested in seeking treatment but something else,” Lacson said in an interview.

The senator was apparently referring to the travel authority that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. granted to Arroyo in September.

That time, Belmonte said he gave permission to Arroyo to attend the Clinton Global Initiative held in the US last September 16.

The Speaker also granted Arroyo’s request to attend the Regional Consultative Meeting of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty last October 10-11.