Bishop says Palace offer to Arroyo out of order

MANILA, Philippines—Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz on Friday described as “out of order” the government’s compromise just to make sure that president Macapagal-Arroyo, who was seeking medical treatment abroad for her reportedly rare bone disease, remained in the country.

“She doesn’t need it (financial assistance) now [because] if she accepts it, that’s public fund,” Cruz told reporters in a phone interview on Friday.

Cruz, a staunch critic of both Arroyo and President Benigno Aquino, said it was “strange” that the government was offering financial aid to the former, who was being prevented from going abroad as she might not return to the country to face plunder and electoral sabotage cases filed against her.

The Department of Justice earlier thumbed down Arroyo’s plan to seek medical treatment outside the country, expressing concern that the countries that she listed had no existing extradition treaties with the Philippines.

As a compromise, Aquino said the government could fly in Arroyo’s foreign  medical specialist of choice and “if necessary,” the government was also prepared “to answer the financial aspect” of her treatment.

“The President appears to be very ready in spending public funds for his own plans and decisions … but the former president does not need financial assistance,” said Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“She has more than enough for her own needs,” added the retired archbishop.

Several Catholic bishops have also earlier expressed disagreement on the decision of the government, preventing Arroyo from seeking medical treatment abroad.

The bishops said such decision might “boomerang” on the government and might also result in endless round of finger-pointing should Arroyo’s health deteriorate because she was forced to stay in the country.