Militant lawmaker says Clinton to visit Arroyo, too

MANILA, Philippines—Bayan Muna party-list Representative Neri Colmenares is claiming that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s trip to the Philippines is partly to visit ailing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Secretary Clinton is also here to check on their family friend Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to see how she is doing. We ask the Clintons not to invite her next year as this does not add credibility to their global initiatives,” said Colmenares in a statement.

Colmenares noted that Arroyo, now a congresswoman of the second district of Pampanga, had planned to attend the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in September.

“We just hope that Secretary Clinton would not meddle … (in) our political affairs regarding Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by asking the Aquino administration to be lenient (with) her, and (in) our sovereignty through the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty) and VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) …, ” said Colmenares.