PHNO-HL: GMA ARRAIGNMENT TODAY? / TIGHT SECURITY FOR GMA ARRAIGNMENT

GMA ARRAIGNMENT TODAY? / TIGHT SECURITY FOR GMA
ARRAIGNMENT

[PHOTO -HOUSE ARREST?: The TV Patrol, on its poll question earlier
today asked the public if they are agree on the house arrest for Gloria Arroyo,
the outcome said that 87% of those who voted said that they are not agree on the
house arrest motion while the other 13% said that they agree for the house
arrest. ]
MANILA, OCTOBER 29, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Michael Punongbayan - Unless the Supreme Court (SC) issues a
temporary restraining order (TRO), former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo will be arraigned on Monday, according to Sandiganbayan
spokesman Renato Bocar.
As of yesterday, the anti-graft court's First Division had issued no order
canceling the arraignment, Bocar said.
This means that the scheduled arraignment on Monday "will proceed unless
restrained by the Supreme Court," he said.
Arroyo filed a petition for certiorari before the SC on Wednesday questioning
her indictment before the Sandiganbayan.
Arroyo, through her lawyer Anacleto Diaz, is seeking a TRO from the SC in an
effort to stop the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan from proceeding
with the plunder case.
Arroyo claimed she was wrongly prosecuted for crimes she did not commit,
denying any involvement in the alleged misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during her presidency.
Director Diosdado Calonge, head of the Ombudsman's prosecution team, agreed
with Bocar that Monday's arraignment should push through unless a TRO is issued.

Former PCSO board member Manuel Morato, also a respondent in the criminal
charge, is also scheduled for arraignment on Monday.
However, it is uncertain if Morato would be able to appear since he underwent
heart surgery at the St. Luke's Medical Center earlier this week.
One of his lawyers, Dennis Manicad, told The STAR yesterday that Morato is
still recuperating in the hospital's intensive care unit.
Arroyo herself is under hospital arrest, having been confined at the Veterans
Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) because of aggressively worsening health
problems.
Arroyo's principal congressman-ally, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, said
Arroyo could be physically fit to attend her arraignment on Monday, but only if
the hearings would take only an hour.
"I'm not a doctor and I really don't know her physical capability to go to
court, but if the hearing lasts for just an hour, I think she can," he said.

Suarez said he and 16 other Arroyo allies recently visited the former
president at her VMMC suite.
"It was an occasion that was festive, meaning, the president was happy
because her colleagues paid her a visit. We were joking about those who are
running unopposed," Suarez said. "But if you look at her body language, you will
see that she has moments of pain, she didn't feel well," he added.
Arroyo was supposed to be arraigned two weeks ago, but her doctors took her
to the hospital's intensive care unit for a heart-related problem, prompting the
Sandiganbayan to reset her arraignment to Monday.
The anti-graft court earlier ordered her arrested, but before the police
could serve the warrant on her, Arroyo had herself confined at VMMC, where her
detention was later processed.
No consolidation
Arroyo was granted bail after she was placed under hospital arrest on charges
of electoral offense, along with former elections chief Benjamin Abalos.
The former president and Abalos are also co-accused in a graft case before
the Sandiganbayan, along with former socio economic planning secretary Romulo
Neri, over the botched national broadband network (NBN) deal with China's ZTE
Corp. in May 2010.
In a three-page ruling dated Oct. 19, 2012, the anti-graft court said the
criminal charges against both accused, though stemming from the same NBN deal,
could not be fused together.
"Consolidation is addressed to the sound discretion of the courts, both by
the court that will order the transfer of the case to another, and more
importantly, by the court that will accept such transfer, given that such case
was not originally raffled to it, and hence, the same would add to its
caseload," the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division said.
The court noted when magistrates of the anti-graft court's Fifth Division,
then headed by Associate Justice Roland Jurado, directed the consolidation of
the two cases, prosecutors in the Neri case had already presented six of its 26
witnesses, while those handling the Abalos case had already presented 16 of 66.

The Fourth Division said common witnesses – identified as The STAR columnist
Jarius Bondoc, former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and former secretary
Margarito Teves – will also have to be recalled if the cases are to be fused,
which would "entail delay for the Abalos case."
Magistrates further emphasized that Neri himself objected to the
consolidation of the cases, believing that it would be prejudicial to him
because it "would be absurd given that he was a principal and material witness
in the Abalos case and had, in fact, already testified against accused Abalos."

The Fourth Division favored Neri and said it is a fundamental rule that an
accused is entitled to nothing less than the cold neutrality of an impartial
judge.
"This court would not want Neri to entertain any doubt in his mind that such
formed opinions might impact on the proper disposition of the Neri case where he
stands as the accused himself," the court said. – Jess Diaz,
Mayen Jaymalin, Janvic Mateo
Security tightened for GMA arraignment By Reinir
Padua (The Philippine Star) Updated October 28, 2012 12:00 AMComments (64)

MANILA, Philippines - Tight security will be implemented both at the
Sandiganbayan and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) for the scheduled
arraignment of former president now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on
plunder charges tomorrow.
Bomb experts from the Explosives and Ordnance Divisions of the National
Capital Region Police Office and the Quezon City Police District will be
deployed inside and outside the anti-graft court.
The Police Security Protection Group will provide close-in security for the
former president.
Police officers will secure the vicinity of the Sandiganbayan and the route
that the former president will be taking for her scheduled court appearance.

Police said they would be on guard against groups, both supportive and
critical of Arroyo, that might take advantage of the situation.
Policemen will also patrol major intersections along the route that Arroyo's
convoy will be taking in going to the court.
Lawmen are also ready to control the crowd in case protesters force their way
toward the Sandiganbayan and the VMMC. The hospital's presidential suite will be
under heavy guard while Arroyo is out of the hospital.
Sandiganbayan spokesman Renato Bocar earlier said Arroyo's arraignment would
proceed as scheduled unless the Supreme Court (SC) issues a temporary
restraining order (TRO).
Earlier, the former president filed a petition for certiorari before the SC
questioning her indictment before the First Division of the anti-graft court.

She wanted the SC to issue a TRO to stop the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan
from proceeding with the plunder case.
VMMC director Nona Legaspi has also said the former president would be
brought to the anti-graft court regardless of her medical condition.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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