Arroyo can’t escape the head

Last Friday another political and historic event transpired  in the arrest of  former president Gloria MacapagalpArroyo for the crime of electoral sabotage.

To recall, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the watch list order issued by the Department of Justice against the Arroyo couple last week that lifted the travel ban against them.

Immediately after the High Court issued the TRO, the former First Couple booked a flight for Singapore. As a matter of fact, they  went to the airport in an attempt to take a flight  to Singapore but were  stopped from boarding the plane  by personnel of the Bureau of Immigration upon orders  of Justice Secretary  Leila de Lima.

De Lima  said  the TRO could not yet be effective  because the justice department had  not yet received a copy of the order. Besides,  the Justice Secretary feared that  Arroyo’s flight may  be an attempt to flee the rigors of facing criminal charges that may be filed against them.

The Justice Department immediately sought a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court, which was denied. The high court affirmed its earlier ruling.

Meanwhile the joint Justice-Comelec panel decided to file a case of electoral sabotage against the former president with the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, which issued a warrant of arrest.

The SC  ruled that the TRO is in effect but Arroyo still cannot  leave the country because there is now a warrant of arrest issued against her.

By  late afternoon of Friday, the police served the warrant of arrest to the former president in her hospital suite at the St. Luke’s Medical Center.  She was placed  under police  custody although she was allowed continued medical attention at the hospital.

The police went through the paces of booking Arroyo.  The process included taking  mug shots and fingerprints in her hospital room.

Clearly Malacañang suspects  the former first couple planned  to escape the heat.  Her itinerary includes several countries which don’t have an extradition treat with the Philippines.

Her lawyer says  the filing of charges is clearly a “moro-moro.”   Secretary  De Lima said that if a case was not filed, she would be taken to task  for sleeping on the  job. Now that it is filed,  she is being criticized for railroading the charges.

The way I  see it, these were legal maneuvers  to  stop Arroyo from disappearing and pulling the rug from under serious charges against her. The action taken by the government is just a natural reaction by any government against an erring  former leader .  Since ours is a  democratic country, she is being held  accountable for previous acts during her term.

What Arroyo’s lawyer is accusing Secretary De Lima of is basically the same thing Arroyo did when  she was president.

Many of her political enemies, like Sen. Ping Lacson,  went through the hassle of legal battle with Malacañang during her term.

Is President Noynoy Aquino vindictive as other make him appear?  I don’t think so.  He is basically doing his job as president.

I do not find anything wrong with that and he should even  be lauded for that. Besides, the president is observing  due process of law and Arroyo is benefiting from  our democratic space.

We have to send  big fish to jail if warranted in order to teach our people that those who abuse  power will not go scot free.