Arroyos to attempt PHL exit anew on Wednesday

Former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, along with her husband, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, will try to leave the Philippines again on Wednesday to seek medical help abroad, her spokesperson said. "Ang appointment po namin ay November 17 ng tanghali. Kaya kami ay aalis ulit," Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesperson, Elena Bautista-Horn, said in an interview on GMA News TV’s "Balitanghali." Bautista-Horn said their camp hopes that officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will allow them to leave for Singapore this time, after the Arroyos were prevented from leaving the country despite a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court that temporarily stopped the implementation of the watch list orders against the former First Couple. "Kami ay nagdadasal na maging makatao, maka-Diyos at makabatas ang BI. Hindi dahil inorderan ka ng secretary of Justice, ibig sabihin susunod ka. Kung mali ang inuutos sa inyo, puwede kayong hindi sumunod," she said.

In an 8-5 vote, the SC on Tuesday approved a petition for a TRO filed by the Arroyo couple against a memorandum circular allowing the Justice secretary to issue watch list orders. 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. The Arroyo couple attempted to leave the country for Singapore on Tuesday night, only to be blocked by BI officials who were following Justice chief Leila de Lima’s directive to still follow the watch list order she issued against Mr. and Mrs. Arroyo despite the TRO. Mrs. Arroyo spent Tuesday night at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City, which is less than 30 minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Her camp threatened to file contempt charges against the DOJ for defying the high court. 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 Mrs. Arroyo wants to travel abroad to seek medical help and not to escape possible prosecution. Mrs. Arroyo is suffering from a bone mineral disorder and hypoparathyroidism while her husband has undergone cardiac surgery. — with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News