DND prepares room for Arroyo at Veterans’ hospital

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense on Thursday said that they have prepared a room at the Veteran’s Medical Memorial Center in anticipation of the transfer of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the government-run hospital.

In a press briefing at camp Aguinaldo, newly appointed DND spokesman Director Peter Paul Galvez said that Arroyo would be assigned the presidential suite of the VMMC, the same room used by former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada when he was under hospital arrest.

The statement came after the court ordered the transfer of Arroyo from St. Lukes’s Medical Center in Taguig to VMMC.

Galvez said that the order from Pasay City Regional Trial Court 112 Judge Jesus Mupas was received by DND Undersecretary Eduardo Batac, adding that the order must be executed within five days from its receipt.

“The DND is ready to implement the order of the court,” Galvez told reporters.

He added that they would coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the VMMC to facilitate the transfer of Arroyo.

“We want to assure the public that the VMMC will provide the necessary accommodation, medical care and courtesy fit for the former president and congresswoman. The staff of VMMC have the necessary experience in handling this kind of situation,” Galvez said.

He added that the DND would follow the court’s decision on whether to allow specialists from St. Luke’s Medical Center to attend to Arroyo even if she was confined at the VMMC.

Meanwhile, Galvez said that the PNP would be the lead agency to provide security to VMMC, adding that they will finalize the arrangements this week and decide whether there will be additional deployment of security forces to the VMMC. He said that they would also coordinate with concerned agencies on who could visit Arroyo at the VMMC.

When asked about claims by the Arroyo camp that there were death threats on the former president and that the Aquino administration has allegedly put into action a plan to put Arroyo to “sleep,” Galvez said they have not received such reports.

“We will be extending utmost care to the [former] president,” Galvez said. “The Veteran’s hospital can provide a wide range of medical care,” he added.

When asked what Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin’s marching orders regarding this issue were, Galvez said: “He just said that we are ready for every circumstance.”

Arroyo is facing electoral sabotage charges for her alleged participation in the poll fraud in the 2004 elections.