Mikee Arroyo and Angela Montenegro Arroyo. INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
A Quezon City court granted on Wednesday the motion of Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and his wife Angela to postpone their arraignment on a tax evasion case pending a motion for reconsideration filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Judge Marie Christine Jacob of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 100 moved the couple’s arraignment to January 18.
The prosecution panel did not pose objection to the plea for the postponement.
In the same hearing, Jacob also announced she will rule on Friday on the couple’s motion filed this week, that they be allowed to leave the country next week.
The couple, who had been included in the watch list by the Department of Justice, told the court they will go to the United States and will be away for 21 days, starting on November 14.
The couple, who appeared before Jacob Wednesday morning where they were supposed to be arraigned, cited “semi official business” as reason.
The young Arroyo, in his pleading, said he is scheduled to meet with members of the Filipino community in Southern California to solicit donations of medicines for his constituents.
But Assistant State Prosecutor Rodrigo del Rosario said they do not see any necessity for the lawmaker to travel in the reasons he had stated.
The Department of Justice had included the couple on the watch list based on the tax evasion cases filed against them.
But Mikey’s lawyer Ruy Rondain said, “I don’t recognize the watch list order issued by the DOJ.”