DAD HOME, SAYS FORMER FG
[PHOTO - EMPTY-HANDED
Alicia "Aleli" Arroyo, estranged wife of Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, arrives at
Ninoy Aquino International Airport on a flight from London without the
lawmaker's body. RODEL ROTONI]
MANILA,
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 (INQUIRER) By
Gil Cabacungan, Jocelyn R. Uy - The remains of Negros Occidental Representative
Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo will be brought home by his eldest child, Bianca, and not
by his estranged second wife Alicia "Aleli" Arroyo or his longtime companion
Grace Ibuna, the lawmaker's brother said Sunday.
In a phone interview, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, husband of former President
and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said Bianca was
scheduled to talk with the London coroner on Monday to seek the release of his
younger brother's body which would be flown into the country intact and not
cremated.
Bianca is the only child of Iggy and his first wife, Marilyn Jacinto, sister
of entertainer Ramon "RJ" Jacinto.
But lawyer Lorna Kapunan, Aleli's legal counsel, said Bianca could not take
charge of repatriating his father's body because Ibuna had obtained a court
order in the United Kingdom declaring her Iggy's next of kin and barring Aleli
from taking hold of the body.
Ibuna was at Iggy's bedside when he was taken off life support on January 26.
Iggy had sought treatment for cirrhosis of the liver in London.
"We don't know if they (Mike and Bianca) know that there is a court order
unless they are working together with Ibuna. They should just say it straight
out. I don't think Grace Ibuna is intelligent enough to make these maneuvers,"
Kapunan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Kapunan accompanied Aleli to London last week with the goal of bringing home
Iggy's body to the Philippines on Saturday.
The two came home empty-handed after solicitors of Ibuna served them papers
preventing them from removing the body, which was frozen in a box at a London
funeral parlor.
Kapunan said Aleli had not been able to see Iggy's remains.
The lawyer claimed that Aleli and Bianca had a meeting in front of Philippine
consular officials the night before they went to the funeral parlor.
Among the things they ironed out was that a funeral parlor in the country
would receive Iggy's body from the United Kingdom. "We have to name a Philippine
consignee which the London funeral parlor can coordinate with. Aleli wanted
Loyola in Marikina City, but Bianca wanted Arlington, so we agreed with her
(Bianca)," Kapunan said.
Wake in La Vista
The lawyer said Bianca was insistent that Iggy's wake be held at his family's
house in La Vista subdivision in Quezon City where he and his siblings Mike and
Marilou (who was married to Ramon Jacinto) grew up.
Kapunan said Aleli, who wanted the wake held at their home in the same
compound, had given way to Bianca.
"We don't know if Bianca was speaking for the Arroyo family. But when they
met, Bianca said that since Aleli was here, she should take charge of the
funeral arrangements. That's why we were surprised that Grace had obtained
papers insisting she was Iggy's next of kin and that we were told she wanted
Iggy cremated," Kapunan said.
Under Philippine laws, the legal wife was No. 1 in line among the deceased's
next of kin, with the children coming in second, the parents third, and the
siblings last, Kapunan said.
Kapunan said she found it absurd that Ibuna would seek cover from a British
court when all the principals involved were Filipino citizens.
"She not only wanted the body cremated, she also sued the Philippine
embassy," said Kapunan who suggested that Ibuna's passport be canceled if she
did not release Iggy's body.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the family of Iggy had asked the
government not to make public "details about the repatriation" of the remains of
the late congressman.
Citing a report of the Philippine Embassy in London, DFA spokesperson Raul
Hernandez yesterday told the Inquirer that "in keeping with the request of
(Arroyo's) family, it is not in a position to disclose to the public details
about the repatriation of his remains."
On Friday, Hernandez said there was "no advisory yet from the embassy
(regarding the repatriation of Arroyo's body)."
He expressed hope that "it will be soon" as he assured the public that the
DFA was in touch with Arroyo's family and was helping facilitate the return of
the late congressman's remains.
Arroyo request
Following Iggy's death, lawyers of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is under
hospital arrest on a charge of electoral sabotage, have asked a Pasay City
regional trial court for her provisional freedom so she can pay her last
respects to her brother-in-law.
The Comelec, over the weekend, said the former President must clarify her
request, particularly the place of the wake, so that the government could
prepare the logistical and security requirements needed should she be allowed to
go out of the hospital.
Some Catholic bishops supported her request for "humanitarian reasons."
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said Gloria Arroyo must be given a temporary
pass to attend the wake of Iggy, a privilege given even to inmates.
"If your brother-in-law dies, will you not visit him?" Arguelles asked.
"I know that many sentenced inmates are allowed to visit deceased close
relatives … of course, they are not high-profile prisoners. Is [Arroyo] already
a sentenced prisoner?" the prelate said.
Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros did not see anything wrong with allowing the
former President to attend the wake of his brother-in-law.
Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos said Gloria Arroyo must be allowed to
attend "out of charity or compassion."
The former President is detained at Veterans Memorial Medical Center.
As to the apparent tug-of-war between Aleli and Ibuna, Archbishop Emeritus
Cruz suggested that Iggy's estranged wife and companion talk things over to
resolve the issue. With a report from Jerry E. Esplanada
FROM PEP (PHILIPPINE ENTERTAINMENT PORTAL
ONLINE
Iggy Arroyo's eldest daughter, Bianca, wants peaceful wake
and burial for her father Nerisa Almo Wednesday, February 1, 2012
02:47 PM
[PHOTO - "Nakikiusap po ako na to stop muna ang gulo," Bianca Arroyo
(in photo) indirectly pleaded to Aleli Arroyo, who threatened to sue Congressman
Iggy Arroyo's common-law wife Grace Ibuna. Bianca is the eldest daughter of the
late Negros Occidental representative with his first wife, Marilyn Jacinto.
Screengrab from ANC]
Hiniling ni Bianca Arroyo, panganay na anak ng yumaong si Negros Occidental
Representative Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, na bigyan ng mapayapang burol at libing
ang kanyang ama.
Inihayag ito ni Bianca sa panayam ng ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, na
nailathala sa ABS-CBN News website ngayong araw, Pebrero 1.
Si Bianca ang panganay na anak ni Iggy sa una niyang asawang si Marilyn
Jacinto, kapatid ng Pinoy rock icon na si Ramon "RJ" Jacinto.
Ani Bianca, "Nakikiusap po ako na to stop muna ang gulo.
"Ilibing ko muna ang tatay ko, hindi man lang ako makaiyak nang mahusay.
"Kasi, I have to be strong for my family and for myself."
Ang pakiusap na ito ay kasunod ng pagbabanta ng legal na asawa ni Iggy, si
Aleli Arroyo, sa kinakasama ng kongresista na si Grace Ibuna.
Matatandaang nagbanta si Aleli na magsasampa siya ng kaso laban kay Grace
dahil sa umano'y pagdedesisyon ng huli na tanggalin ang life-support system ng
kongresista, na idineklarang "clinically dead" ng mga doktor.
(CLICK
HERE to read related article.)
Kasama ni Iggy si Grace nang siya ay ma-cardiac arrest sa London, kung saan
ilang buwan na siyang nananatili para ipagamot ang kanyang sakit sa liver.
(CLICK
HERE to read related article.)
Ayon pa sa ulat ng ABS-CBN News, nandoon na rin sa London si Garie
Concepcion, ang anak ni Grace sa aktor na si Gabby Concepcion.
Samantala, tumanggi namang magbigay ng detalye si Bianca tungkol sa
pagpapadala ng mga labi ng kanyang ama dito sa Pilipinas.
Pero ayon sa mga lumabas na report, naka-schedule ang pagdating ng mga labi
ni Iggy sa bansa ngayong linggo.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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