Last Friday another political and historic event transpired in the arrest of former president Gloria MacapagalpArroyo for the crime of electoral sabotage.
To recall, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the watch list order issued by the Department of Justice against the Arroyo couple last week that lifted the travel ban against them.
Immediately after the High Court issued the TRO, the former First Couple booked a flight for Singapore. As a matter of fact, they went to the airport in an attempt to take a flight to Singapore but were stopped from boarding the plane by personnel of the Bureau of Immigration upon orders of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
De Lima said the TRO could not yet be effective because the justice department had not yet received a copy of the order. Besides, the Justice Secretary feared that Arroyo’s flight may be an attempt to flee the rigors of facing criminal charges that may be filed against them.
The Justice Department immediately sought a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, which was denied. The high court affirmed its earlier ruling.
Meanwhile the joint Justice-Comelec panel decided to file a case of electoral sabotage against the former president with the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, which issued a warrant of arrest.
The SC ruled that the TRO is in effect but Arroyo still cannot leave the country because there is now a warrant of arrest issued against her.
By late afternoon of Friday, the police served the warrant of arrest to the former president in her hospital suite at the St. Luke’s Medical Center. She was placed under police custody although she was allowed continued medical attention at the hospital.
The police went through the paces of booking Arroyo. The process included taking mug shots and fingerprints in her hospital room.
Clearly Malacañang suspects the former first couple planned to escape the heat. Her itinerary includes several countries which don’t have an extradition treat with the Philippines.
Her lawyer says the filing of charges is clearly a “moro-moro.” Secretary De Lima said that if a case was not filed, she would be taken to task for sleeping on the job. Now that it is filed, she is being criticized for railroading the charges.
The way I see it, these were legal maneuvers to stop Arroyo from disappearing and pulling the rug from under serious charges against her. The action taken by the government is just a natural reaction by any government against an erring former leader . Since ours is a democratic country, she is being held accountable for previous acts during her term.
What Arroyo’s lawyer is accusing Secretary De Lima of is basically the same thing Arroyo did when she was president.
Many of her political enemies, like Sen. Ping Lacson, went through the hassle of legal battle with Malacañang during her term.
Is President Noynoy Aquino vindictive as other make him appear? I don’t think so. He is basically doing his job as president.
I do not find anything wrong with that and he should even be lauded for that. Besides, the president is observing due process of law and Arroyo is benefiting from our democratic space.
We have to send big fish to jail if warranted in order to teach our people that those who abuse power will not go scot free.