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Rep. Mikey Arroyo on his way to California


Unlike his mother, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ang Galing partylist Rep. Mikey Arroyo was able to leave the country last night unhindered by the Department of Justice and with approval to travel from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court where he has a pending tax evasion case. Rep. Mikey Arroyo arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport just before 9pm with time to a little over an hour and a half to spare before his 10:30 p.m. flight to San Francisco. He was tight-lipped and gave no comments to news media there to cover his departure. Arroyo had relatively no problem clearing immigration and security procedures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, radio dzBB reported. Earlier this week, Arroyo's parents were blocked from leaving the country via the NAIA Terminal 1. The legal row over the right of the former president to travel is on the agenda of the Supreme Court in a special en banc session Friday.
QC Judge Marie Christian Jacob determined that a bond totaling P180,000 was enough to ensure Arroyo’s return to the Philippines. Jacob’s order allowed Arroyo to stay in the US from November 14 to December 17. The court set a bond of P60,000 for each of the three tax evasion charges filed versus the partylist congressman. The congressman was able to post the P180,000 bond. Judge Jacob’s two-page order said in part that “the Constitutional Right to travel may not be restricted at this stage of the proceedings. There is no threat to national security, public safety and public health."
Rep. Mikey Arroyo claimed that he will go to Southern California to meet some members of the Filipino community and to gather donations for his constituents. — ELR, GMA News

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