MANILA, Philippines—Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo on Tuesday stood by his statement that the mugshots of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that were published on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday (today) were fakes.
In a statement, Robredo said the photos were not the same as the ones police submitted to the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.
The photos which were “circulated in the Internet is different from what the PNP CIDG (Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) had taken,” he said.
The DILG secretary explained that the former President’s mugshots, copies of which had been sent to him, bore all case details on the “information booking plate.”
“The information booking plate of the original mug-shot photos of the former President contains her name: Gloria Arroyo Y Macapagal, the Republic Act or electoral sabotage case she violated and the case number from the Pasay City Regional Trial Court,” he said.
Robredo said the photos released through the web appeared to have had the booking numbers “Photoshopped” onto them. He added the photos are different from the reports submitted to him.
The DILG said there were seven persons present when Arroyo’s mug-shot photos were taken: former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo, a former Arroyo cabinet secretary and three personnel from the PNP CIDG.
Robredo added that acting Southern Police District Director Senior Superintendent James Bucayu, who confirmed that the mugshots released over the Internet were authentic, was not around when the photos were taken.
The Pasay City RTC earlier said that Arroyo’s headshots would not be made public.
Arroyo has been allowed to continue her stay at St. Luke’s Medical Center by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court pending trial for the charges of electoral sabotage.