Anti-Arroyo groups stage protest outside SC, snarl traffic

Traffic near the Supreme Court premises in Manila was snarled before noon Friday as protesters gathered in front of the high court to await its decision on whether to uphold former President Gloria Arroyo's right to travel. Most of the protesters, who urged the high court to junk its temporary restraining order that allowed Mrs. Arroyo to leave for abroad, blocked traffic on Padre Faura Street, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported. Justices of the high court started their special en banc session to tackle Arroyo's case at 11 a.m. Friday. Hours before the SC special session, the Manila Police District said it will not allow rallies at the premises of the Supreme Court and Department of Justice (DOJ). Militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, for its part, said it wants to make the high court realize that Arroyo should be made accountable. “We have to make it known to the SC that the people want Arroyo to be made accountable and that there are valid concerns she is trying to evade justice. We oppose the issuance of the TRO which many believe was unnecessary and was issued in haste. The withdrawal of the TRO is the proper thing to do now," said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. “There is no assurance she [Mrs. Arroyo] will return. We find no comfort in her P2 million bond nor with Atty. Ferdinand Topacio’s offer of his testicles. There are no assurances or strong guarantees provided even by the SC that Arroyo will indeed return," he added. On Tuesday the DOJ, through the Bureau of Immigration, blocked Mrs. Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel, from leaving the country despite a TRO on the watch list order by the DOJ, saying it still needs to file a motion for reconsideration on the matter. On the other hand, Mrs. Arroyo's spokesman, defeated senatorial bet Raul Lambino, said late Thursday that Mrs. Arroyo had booked a 5:10 p.m. Friday flight for Singapore. But, Immigration agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport remain on alert and are following the Justice Department’s orders to block her attempts to leave. Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections en banc, before noon Friday, called for the filing of case against Arroyo for her alleged involvement in the supposed 2007 poll-fraud. — LBG, GMA News