BY ELINANDO CINCO: ALLOW THE ARROYOS TO TRAVEL
MANILA, NOVEMBER 9, 2011 (MANILA BULLETIN) Page Eleven By ELINANDO B. CINCO - "Humanitarian reason" is a commonplace phrase used to accede to someone's petition. But this time this plea assumes a passionate appeal by many Filipinos to allow the former First Couple to travel abroad to seek medical treatment.
Last week, the Justice Department seemed unmoved by the escalating clamor from the public.
My opinion is, the Filipino people will never forgive the Aquino government if it officially bars former President Gloria Arroyo and her husband Mike Arroyo from leaving the country. And her health deteriorates.
Has it ever occurred to President Noynoy that if he approves the petition of the former First Couple, the Chief Executive will probably earn one of his bigger ratings in this period of public opinion polling!
Media reports claimed DoJ Secretary Leila de Lima is not convinced the petition sent to her was just to seek medical treatment. She was quoted as saying:
"The Arroyos had other things in mind aside from seeing medical specialists for the former President's bone ailment."
But also last week, the heightening public opinion in favor of the travel, two administration senators and a respected lawyer-priest found fault in the Aquino government for its apparent reluctance to approve the travel permit.
Sen. Franklin Drillon was the first to express his opinion that holding a person's petition to go abroad is unjustifiable and violates the provision of the Constitution for that individual's right to travel.
Unless a person is undergoing court trial, everyone has the Constitution-guaranteed right to a free overseas travel, said Sen. Chiz Escudero.
A noted Constitutionalist and lawyer, Joaquin Bernas said he saw no valid reason to place the former First Couple in the watchlist order, and must be given permission to their application for a foreign trip.
The former First Couple are, indeed, jointly and separately facing several cases allegedly (including three impeachment complaints against her) of plunder, election fraud, and other dishonest transactions while in power. But not a single scheduled trial has been announced by the present dispensation.
The former President and her husband are well-aware that once abroad they decide to go on the lam, the now heightening sympathy and support of the Filipino people for them will abruptly wane (for example, egged on by "I told-you-so" brickbat by political opponents). Plus, the condemnation by presumption of guilt by the international community.
Of course, the DoJ has cited varying schedule and itinerary of the Arroyos' travel. And the agency found this inconsistent with the primordial requirement in their travel application.
But knowledgeable insiders said that the reason for Malacañang's hesitance was anchored on its belief that the Arroyos will not come back to face the hordes of charges against them here.
And buttressed this judgment on the record of the former President of not keeping her word. The most notorious of which was her Rizal Day announcement (Dec. 30, 2003) in Baguio City that she was not running for reelection. A couple of months after, she did the contrary and the rest is history.
In my column of January 5, 2004, I said PGMA would honor her promise if only to cleanse her father's (Pres. Diosdado Macapagal) tarnished image. He also pledged not to run for reelection in 1965 to give way to then Senate President Ferdinand Marcos as LP official standard bearer.
Cong Dadong did run in that presidential election and again, I say, the rest is history.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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