/ IGNACIO ARROYO IS FINALLY HOME
[PHOTO - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (the woman seated at the left side of the man in front seat
row, with their backs to the camera) at the wake of Negros Oriental Rep. Ignacio
``Iggy" Arroyo]
MANILA,
MARCH 3, 2012 (BULLETIN) By ANJO
PEREZ, CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG and BEN R. ROSARIO - It was Congressman Ignacio
"Iggy" Arroyo's last wish to go home to Negros, his long-time partner Grace
Ibuna said Thursday. "We will be going home to Negros. That was his last wish,"
Ibuna told reporters.
The body of the Negros Occidental representative arrived Wednesday night on
an Emirates Airlines flight.
Ibuna accompanied the body on the flight, along with Gabrielle, her daughter
with Gabby Concepcion, and Bianca Arroyo.
Upon seeing her parents Rodolfo and Linda, Ibuna broke into tears.
"He was the kindest man. Napakabait niyang tao," she said of Arroyo.
Ibuna told reporters the battle between her and Arroyo's legal wife, Alicia
Rita "Aleli" Arroyo, was not about money.
"For the record, it wasn't for money. But this is not the proper forum for me
to discuss anything about that," Ibuna said. "But I promise all of you that
through my lawyer, I will answer all your questions in due time."
[PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERAKSYON.COM -The late Negros Occidental
Representative Ignacio 'Iggy' Arroyo's common-law wife Grace Javier Ibuna (C)
and daughters Gabrielle Concepcion (R) and Bianca Arroyo (L) arrive at the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport Wednesday night after accompanying his remains on
board an Emirates flight from London to Manila. (Eric B.
Apolonio, InterAksyon.com)]
From the airport, Arroyo's remains were taken to the Arlington Funeral Homes
on Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, where the body was prepared. Then it was taken
yesterday to the Arroyo ancestral home on Badjao Street, La Vista Subdivision in
Quezon City.
Ibuna left the Arroyo house at 9:30 a.m. Thirty minutes later, Aleli arrived.
Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had arrived an
hour earlier, escorted by a convoy of police guards.
The Pasay City Regional Trial Court had granted Arroyo's motion to visit the
wake of her brother-in-law.
Congressman Arroyo's remains will lie in state at the ancestral home until
Saturday, March 3. It will be transferred to the house of Aleli Arroyo a few
blocks away. It will remain in Aleli's home until its transfer to the House of
Representatives in Quezon City for necrological services on Monday, March 5.
After his fellow lawmakers pay their last respects, Arroyo will be flown to
Bacolod City for a three-day wake.
The body will be returned to the Arroyo ancestral home on Thursday, March 8,
and buried the following day near the grave of his mother at the Manila North
Cemetery.
In a press statement, former President Arroyo said she is "gratified and
appreciative" of the recommendation of the Department of Justice (DOJ)
prosecutors and the action by the Office of the Ombudsman in dismissing the
plunder case against her.
"What is lamentable is that this case has been utilized by the DOJ in issuing
several Watchlist Orders against me," she said.
Granted an eight-hour pass by the court, Arroyo, who wore a neck brace and a
printed black and white dress, condoled with Aleli, their daughter Alelu and the
congressman's daughter by his first wife, Bernardina Arroyo-Tantoco.
Mrs. Arroyo's husband, Mike, sons, Juan Miguel "Mikey" and Diosdado "Dato"
Arroyo; and daughter, Evangeline "Luli" Arroyo- Bernas, and their families
joined her at the wake.
Mike later told reporters he was happy to see his wife set foot again at
their home since her arrest in November. However, he lamented that it came at a
time that the family was grieving over the death of his brother.
"It was so sad to see her leave her own home," Mike said as the former
president left their home to return to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.
IGNACIO ARROYO IS HOME 34 DAYS AFTER
HIS DEATH IN UK
[PHOTO - IGGY FINALLY HOME
:The remains of late Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo accompanied with partner Grace
Ibuna finally arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Wednesday night.
INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ]
INQUIRER, By Tina G. Santos - Finally, after several
postponements, the body of the late Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio
"Iggy" Arroyo, who died last January 26, was flown to Manila from London
Wednesday night.
Iggy's body arrived at Ninoy Aquino Intermational Airport (Naia) Terminal 1
from London via Dubai on board Emirates Airlines flight EK 334 at 9:45 p.m. He
was accompanied by his longtime partner Grace Ibuna, her daughter Gabrielle and
one of his daughters, Bianca Arroyo.
Ibuna broke down in tears as she met her family at the airport.
In an interview, Ibuna said she only wanted a dignified burial for her
partner. She vowed to fulfill what she claimed was Iggy's last wish: to come
home to Negros Occidental.
She stressed that the battle between her and Aleli was not about money.
"For the record, it wasn't for money. But you would understand that this is
not the proper forum for me to discuss anything about that. But I promise all of
you that through my lawyer, I will answer all your questions in due time. Just
give us time to grieve right now."
Arroyo passed away in London from a liver ailment, and his death set off a
legal battle for the custody of his body.
"We will be going home to Negros. That was his last wish," Ibuna told
reporters.
The repatriation of Iggy's body, which was originally set last week, had been
delayed apparently due to documentation work needed in London.
From Naia Terminal 1, Ibuna and Iggy's family, including the late
congressman's other daughter, Bernardina Arroyo-Tantoco, proceeded to Pair Cargo
warehouse located adjacent to the airport terminal to receive the body.
It took a while before the body was released from the cargo warehouse because
it had to undergo several customs, immigration and quarantine procedures.
Iggy's body was picked up by Arlington Funeral Homes at the cargo warehouse.
It will stay at Arlington overnight.
Apart from Arroyo-Tantoco, the other relatives of Iggy and Ibuna who were
issued access passes by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), upon
the request of Edith Cardenas, executive director of the House of
Representatives' Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Special Affairs Bureau,
included Paolo Tantoco, Linda Ibuna and Rodolfo Ibuna, among others.
According to Connie Bungag, chief of the MIAA media affairs division, former
First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was among those who was originally supposed
to receive the body.
But there were changes made Tuesday night, Bungag said, adding that the
former first gentleman's name was no longer on the list.
The body will be transferred to the Arroyo ancestral home at 14 Badjao St. in
La Vista Subdivision, Quezon City Thursday where it will remain until Saturday.
After a 10 a.m. Mass, it will be brought to Iggy and his legal wife, Aleli's
conjugal home, a few doors away at 17 Badjao St., where a wake will be held
until March 5.
From the Arroyo conjugal home, the body will be moved to the House of
Representatives on March 5 for a necrological service.
At 4 p.m. of the same day, Iggy's body will be flown to Bacolod City to allow
the late lawmaker's constituents to pay their last respects until March 7.
The body will be returned to Manila on the morning of March 8 and brought to
the Arroyo ancestral home. The interment is scheduled on the morning of Friday,
March 9 at the Manila North Cemetery near the grave of Arroyo's mother. Some
members of the Arroyo and Tuason clan were also at the cargo warehouse to
receive Iggy's remains.
Loud cries were heard as the casket carrying Iggy's remains were being loaded
to a hearse that took it to Arlington Funeral Homes.
Asked how she wanted Iggy to be remembered, Ibuna said : "He was the kindest
man, napakabait nyang tao."
Before he died, Iggy wanted her to come home to check on his constituents,
Ibuna said. "But because of his condition…I hope his constituents would
understand. I did not entrust him to anybody else because I want to personally
take care of him."
"He loved his constituents dearly," she added. "Even up to the last moment,
he tried to be strong. He told everyone that he was coming home, this is such a
surprise that he would be coming home this way."
At one point, she referred to Iggy as "my husband" but she immediately asked
reporters "to please strike that out."
"I just want a dignified burial for my husband…sorry, my partner, whatever
you may want to call it. I just want him to have a dignified burial and if I
agreed with Atty. (Leonard) De Vera's recommendation, it is in the name of
peace. I am also a mother, I also have kids. I treat his kids as my own. But
after the burial, that's another story," Ibuna added.
Grace Ibuna: I'm on top of Ignacio's funeral By
Julie M. Aurelio, Rogelio Constantino-Medina, Tina G. Santos Philippine Daily
Inquirer
[PHOTO - IGGY ARROYO WITH GRACE]
Businesswoman Grace Ibuna, a longtime partner of the late Negros Occidental
Representative Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, said she and one of the daughters' of the
late congressman, Bernardina Arroyo-Tantoco, would take charge of the funeral
arrangements for him.
Ibuna, in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, denied a
television report that Arroyo's estranged wife, Aleli, would also be involved in
taking charge of the funeral arrangements.
The body of Arroyo, the brother of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike"
Arroyo, is scheduled to arrive on Emirates Flight No. EK 344 at Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (Naia) 1 at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, airport officials
said.
In her text message on Monday, Ibuna said she and Arroyo-Tantoco would take
charge of the funeral arrangements.
"It is not her (Aleli)," Ibuna said.
She also denied reports that the congressman's burial flag would be turned
over to Aleli. "No way!" she said.
This is contrary to the agreement reached by Aleli, Grace and
Arroyo-Tantoco on February 21 on the arrangement for Iggy's wake and funeral.
On February 20, a London court granted Ibuna and Arroyo-Tantoco custody of
the lawmaker's remains despite Aleli's protests.
Following the London court order, the lawyers of Aleli, Ibuna and
Arroyo-Tantoco met on February 21 and reached an agreement on the arrangements
for Iggy's wake and funeral.
According to the agreement, Iggy's body will be brought from the airport to
Arlington Funeral Homes.
Iggy's wake will start on March 1 at the ancestral house of the Arroyos' at
No. 14 Badjao St., La Vista subdivision in Quezon City.
On March 3, Iggy's body will be brought to the conjugal house, three houses
away, at No. 17 Badjao St., where Aleli said she and Iggy had lived for 10
years.
On the morning of March 5, Iggy's body will be brought to the House of
Representatives for a necrological service. At 4 p.m., he will be flown to
Bacolod City.
A three-day wake has been scheduled in his hometown of Kabankalan, Negros
Occidental. His body will be brought back to Manila for a funeral Mass and
burial at Manila's North Cemetery on March 9.
But Aleli believes that she and no one else will receive the burial flag at
his funeral a week from now.
"Of course, because she is the legal wife," Aleli's lawyer, Lorna Kapunan,
instantly replied when asked if her client will receive the customary burial
flag from the government.
This was disclosed in a status hearing in a Quezon City court Tuesday on the
compromise agreement between Aleli and Ibuna.
Arroyo's death on January 26 in London due to a liver ailment has set off a
legal battle for the custody of his body both in courts in the United Kingdom
and the Philippines.
But with a compromise between the two women on the funeral arrangements, both
parties agreed to jointly ask for the dismissal of the case filed by Aleli in a
Quezon City court.
Judge Eleuterio Bathan of Regional Trial Court Branch 92 told the parties
that he will wait for the final compromise agreement before he will act on the
appeal to dismiss the case.
A visibly pleased Aleli spoke with reporters after the hearing and expressed
her gratitude that her husband, though long estranged, will be finally able to
come home.
"I thank the Lord … My daughter is happy that finally her father will be able
to come home. I am very happy that we didn't have to go through a full-blown
trial and restraining order," she said.
The hearing on Monday morning was meant to update the court on the status of
the agreement, which includes the funeral schedule for the late congressman.
With a report from Inquirer Research
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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