Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Celebrates 65th Birthday at Veterans Memorial Medical Center

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is greeted by President Noynoy’s “Official Gazette” on her 65th birthday today, April 5, Maundy Thursday.

The former Philippine President and now Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is spending her 65th birthday today at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where she is currently under hospital arrest,

His husband, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, said his wife decided to serve home-cooked meals to her family and friends who will visit and spend the whole day today with her at the hospital.

“The food will come from our home in La Vista, we can’t cook in the hospital. So we’ll serve food to whoever arrives there,” he said.

According to reports, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo‘s wish for her birthday is unity and reconciliation among her countrymen.

“Sana po ay mawala na ang kaguluhan at kalungkutan likha ng hindi pagkakaisa. It is my fervent hope that we will be truly united in the pursuit of long-lasting happiness and prosperity,” the former President said in a statement.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Allowed by Court to Visit Iggy’s Wake

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been granted by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court to go to the wake of the late Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo at La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City upon request of the former President.

According to a report by the Philippine Star, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was allowed to visit her brother-in-law’s wake from 8 AM to 4 PM this Saturday, February 25. She is currently detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City for the electoral sabotage charges against her by the COMELEC.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Exclusive Interview Tonight on GMA News TV

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo granted an exclusive interview to Kapuso news anchor Arnold Clavio and it will be run in full from 10:00pm to 10:30pm tonight on GMA News TV Channel 11.

Arroyo Under Arrest, Her Lawyer Challenges Court

Arroyo arrest is being contested by her lawyer.

The lawyer of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is contesting the court’s jurisdiction to order the arrest of his client on electoral fraud.

Raul Lambino, the former President’s lawyer, said the court will hear a motion today to lift the arrest warrant on the grounds the criminal suit should have been filed elsewhere.

“We feel that there has been a violation of due process when they railroaded this case and filed the information at a wrong court,” he told ABS-CBN.

Lambino added that the case should be dealt with by a special court–the Sandiganbayan–which handles cases involving public officials.

“The court should not have issued a warrant of arrest,” he said.

The Pasay City RTC ordered the arrest of the 64-year-old former President last Friday after the COMELEC filed election fraud charges on the same day.

GMA is facing the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted by the lower court in Manila.

Gloria Arroyo is the second Philippine leader to stand trial. Her predecessor Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder in 2007 but pardoned by Arroyo 40 days later.

The current President Noynoy Aquino, however, is not bent on giving pardon to GMA.

Arroyo arrested for electoral fraud and corruption

Arroyo arrested on Friday by a trial court for vote rigging and corruption cases.

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been on hospital arrest on Friday as ordered by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court for electoral fraud and corruption.

A warrant of arrest against the former-president-turned-Pampanga-Congresswoman was served around 6:00 p.m. yesterday, November 18, at the St. Lukes’s Medical Center by officials from the Southern Police District.

In a press conference, Senior Superintendent James Bucayu said Mrs. Arroyo was placed under hospital arrest but her condition prevented her from completing booking requirements. Depending on Mrs. Arroyo’s physical condition, it’s either she’ll stay at the hospital or be detained at the Southern Police District.

Judge Jesus B. Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered the arrest of the former president right after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) filed an electoral sabotage case against her yesterday morning.

Jesse M. Robredo of the DILG said that they will let Mrs. Arroyo choose where she wants to be put her under arrest, it’s either in the hospital or at her house.

“The administration will accord correct treatment to Mrs. Arroyo being a former president, because she’s not well. We will accord due respect to the [former] president,” he said.

Furthermore, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Palace will grant Mrs. Arroyo’s choice of detention in house or hospital but if ever she tries to escape, she will be constrained and put to an appropriate detention facility.

“For as long as she stays in the hospital or maybe at home, we will not insist on bringing her to any detention facility, but the moment lumabas siya, then our law enforcers will be constrained to arrest her, and put her in an appropriate detention facility,” she said.

The Commission on Elections filed an electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials on Friday morning.

COMELEC chairman Sixto Brillantes, via a phone patch interview with ANC News, said election commissioners had voted, 5-2, in favor of filing charges against the former President. The other commissioners who voted for the filing were Elias Yusoph, Rene Sarmiento, Gus Lagman and Robert Lim. The two who voted against were election official Lintang Bedol, and former Maguindanao official Andal Ampatuan Sr.

The COMELEC also petitioned RTC Judge Jesus Mupas to issue a hold departure order against the former president who is about to leave for Singapore today for medical treatment.

The joint panel however resolved to dismiss the charges against former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” T. Arroyo, for “insufficiency of evidence to establish probable cause.”

COMELEC Files Charges Against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

COMELEC, the Commission on Elections, filed an electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials on Friday.

COMELEC chairman Sixto Brillantes, via a phone patch interview with ANC News, said election commissioners had voted, 5-2, this morning in favor of filing charges against the former President. The other commissioners who voted for the filing were Elias Yusoph, Rene Sarmiento, Gus Lagman and Robert Lim. The two who voted against were election official Lintang Bedol, and former Maguindanao official Andal Ampatuan Sr.

The COMELEC also petitioned RTC Judge Jesus Mupas to issue a hold departure order against the former president who is about to leave for Singapore today for medical treatment.

GMA’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said that he would be surprised if the hold departure order is issued within the day given the volume of material submitted by the Comelec. If that happens, he is bent to speculate that someone powerful is indeed orchestrating against the Arroyos.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is facing allegations of electoral fraud and corruption. The government had placed a travel ban on Arroyo and her husband but the Supreme Court, earlier this week, has ruled-out otherwise.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Postponed Trip to Singapore Because of High Blood Pressure

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the former Philippine President, postponed her trip to Singapore this morning due to high blood pressure.

Arroyo’s spokesperson Elena Bautista Horn said the hospitalized former leader is hoping to leave tomorrow, Friday, instead if her condition improves.

“If she’s well by today we will fly out tomorrow,” she said to the media.

Last Tuesday, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was supposed to leave the country after the Supreme Court ruled out that’s she’s free to seek medical care abroad. However, she was barred at the imigration because of a travel ban imposed by current President Noynoy Aquino, who wants to put her on trial for corruption and election fraud.

Arroyo’s lawyer Raul Lambino told reporters that the former president postponed her trip today because of unstable blood pressure which according to him, might be due to the incident at the airport last Tuesday where she was mobbed by airport personnel and the press.

“She would even risk her own life. She would go and ask to leave. This is non-negotiable. If she would not exercise her rights, that would mean submission to this evil that has been bestowed on us,” he said.

The Philippine government is anxious that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo might use her health condition as an excuse so she could travel to a country which does not have an extradition treaty with the Philippines and seek political asylum. Her husband, Mike Arroyo, is also facing corruption inquiries in connection with several government contracts.

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