SC junks Mike Arroyo petition vs watch list

The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition of Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo to stop the Department of Justice (DOJ) from placing him on the immigration watch list order for being “moot and academic” after his name has been stricken off the list two weeks ago.

“Judicial review cannot be exercised where the previously existing actual controversy ceases to exist: This Court cannot provide reliefs for controversies that are no longer there,” the High Tribunal said in a unanimous decision.

The High Court’s September 15 resolution dismissing Arroyo’s petition was released to the media Friday.

Ironically, the DOJ circular on which Justice Secretary Leila de Lima based her decision to place Arroyo on the watch list was issued by her predecessor, Alberto Agra, in the final days of the presidency of Arroyo’s wife, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative.

Representative Arroyo herself remains on the watch list owing to the plunder complaints against her pending at DOJ.

She has yet to question her inclusion in the watch list, unlike her husband and their political ally, former Philippine Amusement and Games Corporation (Pagcor) chair Efraim Genuino. Nikko Dizon