GMA ALLOWED TO IGGY'S WAKE
[PHOTO - Former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo acknowledges the media as she is escorted by
the police upon her arrival to attend her court arraignment for election
sabotage Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court. Arroyo
entered a plea of not guilty. AP Photo]
MANILA,
FEBRUARY 25, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By
Dennis Carcamo - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
today entered a not guilty plea as she appeared for the first time before a
Pasay City court judge who ordered her arrested on electoral sabotage charges in
November last year.
Mrs. Arroyo, assisted by her lawyer, entered the plea during her arraignment
at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112 of Judge Jesus Mupas.
Judge Mupas scheduled the pre-trial of Mrs. Arroyo's case on April 19.
Ferdinand Topacio, one of the lawyers of the Arroyos, told media that Mrs.
Arroyo stood up and it was her who uttered the words "not guilty" during the
arraignment.
A report by the Associated Press said that Mrs. Arroyo declared "not guilty"
in a soft voice and with a stoic expression after her defense team waived a full
reading of charge details. If convicted, she could face life in prison.
The lawyer said that the prosecution agreed to waive the reading of the
information of her charge. She is accused of conspiring to rig the senatorial
elections in 2007 in favor of her candidates.
She became president in 2001 after then President Joseph Estrada was ousted
in a second people's revolt. She stepped down from office in 2010 and was
succeeded by President Benigno Aquino III.
The former president was brought to the Pasay cITY RTC from her detention
cell at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City this morning under
heavy guard.
Members of the media were barred from entering the courtroom of Judge Mupas
due to limited space.
Before the court proceedings, several Arroyo loyalists converged outside the
Pasay City Hall of Justice to express their support for the former chief
executive.
[PHOTO - Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves the Pasay City
court escorted by policemen after attending her arraignment on Thursday and
pleading not guilty to charges of electoral fraud. Photo by
Erik De Castro, Reuters]
Aside from Mrs. Arroyo, several former government officials, including
ex-Comelec head Benjamin Abalos, and ex-Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang
Bedol, are also charged with electoral sabotage charges.
Rigging the 2007 polls
The electoral fraud case against Arroyo centers on a notoriously corrupt
Mindanao region where all 12 of Arroyo's Senate candidates in 2007 swept all the
votes and no opposition candidate won.
According to the charges, there are witnesses who said Arroyo gave
instruction to rig the vote in collusion with a powerful political clan leader,
Andal Ampatuan Sr. Ampatuan is on trial facing murder charges in connection with
the 2009 politically motivated massacre of 57 people, including 32 journalists
and opponents. He has pleaded not guilty.
Arroyo's husband, Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, said that his wife "feels the case is
an injustice."
"There is no case here," he added.
He said his wife is frustrated, and still suffering from spine and back pain
that he said requires medical treatment abroad. After her appearance, which
lasted about 10 minutes, Arroyo was escorted under tight security from the
courtroom to a military hospital where she is detained while being treated for
the spine ailment.
Court spokeswoman Felda Domingo said the trial is historic because "the votes
of the people were sabotaged and the accused is a former president."
President Aquino has promised to root out corruption and said that no one
should be allowed to evade justice.
"There are no exceptions in our campaign against corruption," he said in a
speech Tuesday. "It shouldn't matter if you are a former president or in the
lower ranks of public service. If you are dishonest, then you must be held to
account."
Arroyo's arrest in November struck chord among many Filipinos hungry for
accountability following her presidency, which was overshadowed by scandals,
coup attempts and botched congressional hearings into corruption allegations
involving Arroyo's officials and family members.
Apart from the electoral fraud charge, Arroyo is facing a second criminal
case in a separate court over an overpriced deal with a Chinese
telecommunications giant that allegedly involved huge kickbacks. Two more cases
are being filed against her — for the alleged plunder of lottery funds and the
alleged diversion of $17 million in state funds to boost her 2004 election.
with AP
FROM THE INQUIRER
Court allows Arroyo to visit brother-in-law's wake
By Nathaniel R. Melican Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:32 pm | Friday,
February 24th, 2012
MANILA, Philippines—A Pasay City court has granted former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's petition to be allowed to visit the wake of her
brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, but she quickly
asked the court to reschedule the visit.
Felda Domingo, spokesperson of the Pasay Regional Trial Court's Branch 112,
said Friday morning that Judge Jesus Mupas has already granted Arroyo's initial
plea to visit the wake, scheduling it on Feb. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
However, after hearing that the deceased Arroyo's remains would not arrive in
Manila as originally scheduled Friday night, the former President's lawyers
filed a manifestation seeking the rescheduling of the visit.
"In their manifestation filed Friday morning also, they want it from March 1
to 3, where Arroyo will stay at her house in La Vista in Quezon City," Domingo
said.
The Comelec filed an opposing manifestation also on Friday morning, Domingo
said, adding the new manifestations will be tackled by Mupas in a hearing set on
February 27.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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