Police prepare detention room for ex-Pres. Arroyo

The Southern Police District has prepared an air-conditioned room where former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be detained in case the Pasay Regional Trial Court orders her transferred from a hospital suite in Taguig City. GMA News reporter Ian Cruz said in his report on the 24 Oras newscast that the room in the SPD headquarters has no lavatory but has a kitchen sink with running water. A bed will be among the room's few pieces of furniture. Department of Justice officials had said that the Pasay court will decide on whether Arroyo will remain under hospital arrest or be transferred to the SPD detention facility. On Saturday, police went to Arroyo’s hospital suite to conduct the booking process for persons formally charged with criminal offenses and placed under arrest. SPD officer-in-charge Sr. Supt. James Bucayu was at the St. Luke’s Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City to personally check on the security measures and personnel deployed at the hospital to keep Arroyo in police custody on the strength of the arrest warrant the Pasay court issued. The Pampanga congresswoman has been confined in the hospital since last Tuesday after immigration officials prevented her from leaving the country as they enforced the watchlist order the DOJ had issued against her. According to one medical expert's opinion, the former President's most recent spine surgery was successful. At mid afternoon on Saturday, PNP personnel subjected Mrs. Arroyo to the booking process. Arroyo’s police booking records, consisting of fingerprints and mugshots, were brought to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame for processing. The Arroyo family has reportedly requested that the mug shots not be made public, a request that the police have so far honored.— ELR/HS, GMA News