Pacquiao declines to comment on ex-Pres. Arroyo's arrest

Filipino boxing champ and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao declined to comment on Monday about the arrest of his colleague at the House of Representatives — former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Pacquiao, who arrived early on Monday from the United States, said he wants to study first the circumstances surrounding Arroyo's arrest last week before commenting on the issue. "Sa ganyang bagay pagaralan muna mabuti bago magbigay ng kumento. Hindi basta-basta pwede magdesisyon na hindi natin alam," he said at a press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Pacquiao said, "mahirap magbigay ng kumento sa issue na di natin alam ang sitwasyon." Pacquiao ran for Congress under the banner of Arroyo's political party Lakas-CMD in 2007 but lost to Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio. In 2010, he switched to Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) party but ran under his own party People's Champ Movement (PCM), which at the time allied with defeated presidential bet Manuel Villar Jr.'s Nacionalista Party in 2010. Arroyo's arrest Arroyo was arrested last Friday on charges of electoral sabotage but was allowed to stay at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City where she is confined due to a bone problem. Several days before her arrest, Arroyo has been booking flights to Singapore where she intended to seek medical treatment after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the watch list orders (WLOs) issued to Arroyo and her husband, former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. On Saturday, Arroyo underwent police booking, a process that usually includes the taking of fingerprints and mugshot. The booking was done at the St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City, a day after an arrest warrant for electoral fraud was served against her. Arroyo's photographs and fingerprints will be submitted on Monday to the Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) hearing the poll sabotage case against her. Arroyo's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio on Saturday said their camp will be filing before the Supreme Court on Monday a supplemental petition to their urgent motion seeking to declare as illegal the joint panel that investigated the former president's alleged involvement in the 2007 electoral fraud. The Arroyo's camp is asking the high court to issue another TRO against any "legal effects" of the actions of the joint panel. - VVP, GMA News