MAN IN ISSUANCE OF GMA ARREST WARRANT
MANILA, JANUARY
6,
2012 (TRIBUNE) EXCLUSIVE By Virgilio
J. Bugaoisan - A judge recently appointed as Court of Appeals Justice was the
Palace point man in securing a warrant of arrest against former President and
now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo and ensure that a non-bailable case is filed
against her had reaped his reward for fulfilling wishes and toeing the "straight
path" of President Aquino, a source told The Tribune.
The Tribune source said that former Pasay City Executive Judge Pedro Corrales
acted as the bridge between the Palace and a reluctant Pasay City Court Branch
112 Judge Jesus Mupas in the fast-tracking of the poll manipulation case against
Arroyo that resulted in the indictment of Arroyo and the issuance of an arrest
warrant against her in a short space of a few hours.
According to the source, President Aquino has appointed Corrales as the
newest justice of the appellate court, filling up one of the five or so
vacancies in the CA and assumed office only a few days after Mupas filed a
non-bailable electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo and issued a warrant of
arrest against her thereafter.
A check with Corrales' former office as Pasay RTC Branch 118 Judge showed
that he was relieved as Pasay RTC Judge a few days after Mupas filed the
electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo last Nov. 18 and was appointed by
Aquino as CA Justice late in December last year.
The source said that Mupas was initially hesistant to issue a warrant of
arrest against Mrs. Arroyo but Corrales prevailed upon him to issue it anyway.
Neither Malacañang nor even the Court of Appeals has yet to make an official
announcement of Corrales' appointment.
Strangely, Corrales used to have close connections with former President
Arroyo because of his association with Mrs. Arroyo's cousin Erlinda De Leon and
husband Carlos who had a hand in his appointment as Excutive Judge.
The source said it was Corrales who interceded to convince Mupas to issue the
warrant of arrest against Mrs. Arroyo.
Just like Corrales, Mupas has some issues with the SC as he was previously
sanctioned administratively by the High Court for allegedly delaying the
resolution of cases deliberately.
The source said that although Corrales is close to the De Leons, he is also a
Lamda Rho Beta fraternity brother and a junior to Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima at the San Beda College School of Law.
A check with government records showed Corrales was appointed associate
justice by Aquino on Nov. 11 but the appointment papers were only received by
the JBC chairman, Chief Justice Renato Corona, last Dec. 21.
FROM SUNSTAR ONLINE
Arroyo camp to contest arrest warrant: Arrest filed with
'indecent haste' By Kathrina Alvarez Saturday, November 19, 2011
[PHOTO - Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio gestures during a press conference
outside the St.Luke's Medical Center where former President Gloria Arroyo is
currently under hospital arrest. (AP)]
MANILA (Updated) -- The camp of arrested former President and now Pampanga
Representative Gloria Arroyo said it would start filing appeals against the
arrest warrant when courts reopen Monday.
Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel, said he will
petition the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to suspend the arrest warrant and
other legal effects of the preliminary investigation jointly conducted by the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Arroyo's lawyers already filed motions before the SC questioning the legality
of the joint investigating committee and the jurisdiction of the court that
issued the warrant.
Arroyo may spend first day of 2012 in hospital Lawyer eyes petition to allow
Arroyo to 'get some sunlight' Arroyo can be sent to ordinary jail, progressive
group says Arroyo arrives at VMMC Arroyo 'spoiled' by the government, Erap son
says
Topacio said the government filed the charges with "indecent haste" and the
quickness of the arrest was a "minor miracle" in the Philippine judicial system.
Arroyo is now under police custody after members of the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) served Friday the warrant of arrest
issued by Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112 Judge Jesus Mupas
against her for electoral sabotage in 2007.
House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman advised the Arroyo camp to ask the SC to
quash -- or declare as invalid -- the warrant of arrest.
Lagman said the Arroyo camp can argue that the warrant of arrest was issued
with haste.
Topacio also said they will be filing next week an urgent motion before the
SC for the issuance of another temporary restraining order against the joint
Comelec-DOJ panel that investigated the 2007 poll fraud allegations.
Arroyo was ordered arrested after the Comelec filed electoral sabotage
charges against her. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
It capped a day of legal drama in which the SC upheld her right to travel but
a lower court later accepted the formal charges against her. The government
rushed the case in court, saying Arroyo may be trying to evade justice.
Authorities took Arroyo's mugshots, fingerprints, and handprints on Saturday
afternoon, inside her room at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City.
The mugshots were taken while she was sitting on her bed in a reclined
position. Arroyo's nameplate were held up by the technician while she was being
photographed because Arroyo was "not capacitated" to hold the plate herself,
Philippine National Police (PNP) Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel, who
facilitated the procedure, said.
She was wearing her neck brace and a standard hospital gown while friends and
relatives witnessed the technician taking the mugshots.
The mugshots, which was still in digital form while the press conference was
held, will be submitted to the Pasay City RTC on Monday. It will be up to the
court to release the pictures or not, Coronel said.
"We submit to the sound discretion of judgment in the court to this matter.
We will present it to the court with the information that the accused, Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, is under arrest," Coronel said.
Topacio earlier said their camp already asked the police to withhold the
release of the former President's mugshots.
"Let's treat the former president with the respect due her," the lawyer said
in an earlier briefing. "Let's not further humiliate her considering na may
sakit siya."
However, Coronel said authorities have yet to receive the request from the
Arroyo camp. He nevertheless said the police will launch an investigation should
the mugshots be leaked and/or are released before these are submitted to the
court.
Arroyo's fingerprints, handprints, and mugshots will then be submitted to the
sala of Judge Mupas.
Meanwhile, Arroyo's doctor Juliet Gopez-Cervantez, said the lawmaker will
have to stay at the hospital because of her current health conditions.
"She should stay probably for a few more days or a week," Gopez-Cervantez
said, adding that the lawmaker has not completely recovered from the surgeries.
Some risks may be incurred if Arroyo decides to travel since the bone on her
neck still has to regain its original strength, Gopez-Cervantez added.
Arroyo's attending physician also clarified that the former chief executive
is "not in a life-or-death situation."
"Objectively speaking, she is not in that condition, however we don't know
what's in store for her," she said. "As of now there are some risks but not that
high. She can travel on an airplane but there are some risk and limitation."
When asked how soon can Arroyo recover and leave the hospital, Cervantes
replied: "We will see."
Arroyo had been confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center since Tuesday after
she and her husband tried but failed to leave the country. (Sunnex)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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