House leaders back SC decision allowing Arroyo to go abroad

Leaders of the House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed support for the Supreme Court (SC) decision that effectively allows their colleague, former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to go abroad to supposedly seek medical help. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the SC decision temporarily stopping the implementation of the watch list order which earlier barred the former President from leaving the country "conforms to the rules of the House." "I personally believe that the temporary restraining order (TRO) should be followed, and that the ex-President should be allowed to leave," Belmonte told reporters. Belmonte earlier granted Mrs. Arroyo’s request for authority to travel to five destinations: the United States, Singapore, Germany, Spain and Italy. He added that the permission to travel will lapse on November 30. He likewise said that he is willing to approve a "reasonable extension" to the travel authority if Mrs. Arroyo’s camp asks for it. Powerless Belmonte, however, admitted that the House has no power to compel Mrs. Arroyo to go back to the country once the travel authority lapses. "I personally believe that it is in her best interest to come back and present their side in all of these things. I believe that flight is an admission of guilt," he said. In an 8-5 vote, the SC earlier in the day approved the petition for a TRO filed by Mrs. Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo. The high court issued the TRO under three conditions: the payment of a P2-million cash bond, the appointment of a legal representative who will receive legal documents on the couple’s behalf, and the reporting to a Philippine consulate of their arrival in a certain country. Mrs. Arroyo is currently facing plunder and electoral sabotage complaints while Mr. Arroyo is facing electoral sabotage complaints in connection with alleged anomalies during the 2007 polls. The Arroyo camp has repeatedly said that the Mr. and Mrs. Arroyo want to travel abroad to seek medical help. Mrs. Arroyo is suffering from a bone mineral disorder and hypoparathyroidism while her husband has undergone cardiac surgery. ‘Supremacy of the Constitution’ House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman also hailed the SC decision, describing it as an indication of “the supremacy of the Constitution over partisan importuning." "[The SC decision] is a signal of triumph of civil liberties, particularly the right to travel and presumption of innocence," Lagman said in a separate statement. Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, for his part, said he was disappointed with the high court’s ruling, since it might "jeopardize current efforts to hold [Mrs. Arroyo] accountable for her crimes against the people." The party-list lawmaker earlier filed a plunder complaint againt Mrs. Arroyo for the supposed misuse of funds of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) during the former President’s incumbency. — RSJ, GMA News