Palace: Showing 'civility, dignity' for Arroyo up to Comelec
Malacañang on Saturday tossed to the Commission on Elections the call of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to show “civility and dignity” to former President Gloria Arroyo and not place her in a detention cell for common criminals.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III himself already said Arroyo should be accorded due respect because of her condition.
“Iiwan namin sa Comelec kung paano nila, ano hihingin nila sa Pasay City RTC tungkol sa detention arrangement," she said on government-run dzRB radio.
“Aquino himself said we have to give due respect to Rep. Arroyo because of her condition. She is a woman. Accord her the respect due her,” she added.
The Comelec earlier asked the Pasay court to transfer Arroyo to a regular detention cell once her doctors at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center deem her condition to have improved.
But Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they will also ask the opinion of Arroyo’s private doctors, including those from the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
On Friday, Enrile said Arroyo should be accorded some “degree of civility and dignity” as former president and should not be placed in a detention cell for common criminals.
He said that while Arroyo should be punished if she is convicted, “before that, given the fact she had handled the country for nine years, we have to be very careful, we might be too oppressive, too rigid.”
When asked if the Palace will not oppose Arroyo’s transfer to a regular jail, Valte said it is the job of Arroyo’s defense lawyers.
“Siguro ['yan ay] trabaho para sa depensa. Ang Comelec nagpro-prosecute nito, sila ang party in interest. Lahat na tanong sa ospital ba o sa bahay [ikukulong], we will leave it to prosecution panel," she said.
Arroyo has been under hospital arrest since Nov. 18, after the Pasay City court issued a warrant for her arrest for electoral sabotage.
On Dec. 9 last year, she was moved to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City where she had been staying since Nov. 15, when she was barred from leaving the country. — LBG, GMA News
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III himself already said Arroyo should be accorded due respect because of her condition.
“Iiwan namin sa Comelec kung paano nila, ano hihingin nila sa Pasay City RTC tungkol sa detention arrangement," she said on government-run dzRB radio.
“Aquino himself said we have to give due respect to Rep. Arroyo because of her condition. She is a woman. Accord her the respect due her,” she added.
The Comelec earlier asked the Pasay court to transfer Arroyo to a regular detention cell once her doctors at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center deem her condition to have improved.
But Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they will also ask the opinion of Arroyo’s private doctors, including those from the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
On Friday, Enrile said Arroyo should be accorded some “degree of civility and dignity” as former president and should not be placed in a detention cell for common criminals.
He said that while Arroyo should be punished if she is convicted, “before that, given the fact she had handled the country for nine years, we have to be very careful, we might be too oppressive, too rigid.”
When asked if the Palace will not oppose Arroyo’s transfer to a regular jail, Valte said it is the job of Arroyo’s defense lawyers.
“Siguro ['yan ay] trabaho para sa depensa. Ang Comelec nagpro-prosecute nito, sila ang party in interest. Lahat na tanong sa ospital ba o sa bahay [ikukulong], we will leave it to prosecution panel," she said.
Arroyo has been under hospital arrest since Nov. 18, after the Pasay City court issued a warrant for her arrest for electoral sabotage.
On Dec. 9 last year, she was moved to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City where she had been staying since Nov. 15, when she was barred from leaving the country. — LBG, GMA News
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