Arroyo cuts short Vietnam trip to be with spouse

(Update 3 – 10:24 PM) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will make an unscheduled trip back to Manila from Hanoi on Friday midnight to be with her husband, who was recently discharged from the hospital after suffering from heart ailments, a Palace official said. "I think she wants to be with her husband," Press Secretary Crispulo Icban told reporters in Hanoi. The President, for her part, declined to confirm if she will fly back to Manila immediately. "Not sure," she said in an ambush interview in Vietnam. Spokesmen clueless behind reason for arrival Three other Arroyo spokespersons — deputy presidential spokespersons Gary Olivar, Ricardo Saludo and Charito Planas —also confirmed the report, but no one knew the reason for her sudden change in plans. “No info regarding the reason," Saludo said in a text message. “Yes, she will come home tonight earlier than expected [but] I don’t know the reason either," Olivar told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. “I’m sorry, I don’t know the reason," Planas, for her part, told GMANews.TV in a separate phone interview. Two-day trip Mrs. Arroyo was expected to stay in Vietman for two days to attend the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. She left the country about 11 am Thursday, and is expected to return on 7:05 pm, Friday. But the "new tentative" estimated arrival of Mrs. Arroyo from the Manila International Airport Authority said that the chief executive will be back around 12 midnight Friday. The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said the President will leave Vietnam at 12 midnight and is expected to arrive in the country at 2 a.m. Olivar has earlier said that her travel plans "remain subject, at this point, to the condition of the First Gentleman [Jose Miguel Arroyo]." (See: Arroyo leaves for Hanoi ASEAN summit, names Noli caretaker) The first gentleman was confined in St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City last March 25 due to a condition related to his heart operation in 2007. He was discharged only Wednesday, April 7, a day before Mrs. Arroyo left for Vietnam. (See: First Gentleman rushed to St. Luke’s due to heart trouble) Until last Monday, Mrs. Arroyo had to cancel her public engagements and set up a satellite office at the hospital to keep watch over husband. Marilen Lagniton, medical officer of SLMC, denied that the first gentleman was brought back to the hospital. She said Mr. Arroyo only went St. Luke's-Global City early Thursday to undergo cardio rehabilitation, which he is scheduled to undergo every Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday. He returned to Malacang afterwards, she added. First foreign trip for 2010 The 16th ASEAN Summit was Mrs. Arroyo’s first foreign trip for 2010. With the change in schedule, Trade Secretary Jesli Lapus will represent Mrs. Arroyo in other Asean activities. After the Hanoi summit, the President will visit Washington, DC on April 12-13 to attend the 40-nation Nuclear Security Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama. This would be followed by her April 15-16 visit to Madrid to receive the Premio Internacional Don Quijote de la Mancha award for promoting Spanish language and culture in the Philippines. - with Aie Balagtas See, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV