Militants slam hospital arrest, want Arroyo in detention cell

MANILA, Philippines—Protesters on Monday morning stage a lightning rally at the Pasay City hall to press for former President  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s transfer to a detention facility, saying she must be treated “like an ordinary prisoner” and not be given VIP treatment.

The protest was held three after an electoral sabotage case filed was against Arroyo before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112.

Some 15 members of the Bayan National Capital Region and the League of Filipino Students bore placards calling for Arroyo’s imprisonment and treatment as “an ordinary prisoner.”

The groups decried the alleged “special treatment” being given Arroyo, now a Pampanga congresswoman, in the form of her hospital arrest at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

“The administration of President Aquino must be true to his words that no pardon will be given to [Mrs. Arroyo] and that [she] must be put behind bars and not in the facilities of St. Luke’s,” Bayan NCR spokesperson Paulo Quiza said in a statement.

“GMA must also be treated like an ordinary prisoner thus must not enjoy VIP treatment and privileges inside detention facilities,” Quiza said.

He further maintained that their long wait to prosecute Arroyo for her alleged crimes will only bear fruit “if we will see her behind bars.”

The groups vowed to keep a tight watch over the case and all possible maneuvers that Arroyo might make.