MANILA, Philippines – Grace Poe-Llamanzares, daughter of Fernando Poe Jr., said former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, should be held accountable first before she should be allowed to leave the country.
Grace Poe-Llamanzares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Llamanzares, head of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, made the statement on Thursday as she expressed doubts if Arroyo would still return to the country once she leaves to seek medical treatment abroad .
“Gusto ko talaga panagutan nila kung ano man ang mga paratang sa kanila. Sila na ang nagsasabi [I really want them to answer the allegations against them. They’re the ones who are saying it]. Give them their day in court,” she told reporters at the Senate when she attended the budget hearing of her office.
“Alam naman natin [We all know that] justice delayed is justice denied. Sana na lang para sa kin, gusto ko talaga na nandito ang mga dapat managot [As far as I’m concerned, I really like them to be here so that they can be held accountable],” she said.
Llamanzares said Arroyo should not compare herself to former President Joseph Estrada because he had faced the charges lodged against him and was even jailed for it.
The MTRCB chairperson also cited the case of martyred Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., father of President Benigno Aquino III, who was also jailed in the country before he was allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.
“Siguro hindi nila dapat sabihin na yung iba pinayagan noon, dapat sila payagan din. Panagutan muna nila [Maybe they should not say that because the others were allowed to travel, they should also be allowed to travel. They should be held accountable first],” Llamanzares said.
And while she believed Arroyo was really sick, the desire of many people seeking justice from the alleged abuses of the Arroyo administration must prevail.
Llamanzares then praised President Aquino and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for leading the efforts to find the truth behind the alleged abuses by the former president, specifically her supposed role in ensuring her victory over Fernando Poe Jr. in the 2004 presidential election.
“Hindi lahat ng ligal ay makatarungan pero siguro dapat din isipin din natin kung paanong mapapahalagahan ang katotohanan [Not all that is legal is fair but perhaps what we should think about is how the truth should prevail],” Llamanzares said, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision, allowing Arroyo to leave the country.