Palace to Arroyos: Be forthright about asylum issue

Malacañang on Saturday urged the camp of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel to be forthright and clarify reports of their alleged attempts to seek asylum abroad. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said there has been “confusion" even in the statements issued by Arroyo’s camp about Arroyo’s having been to the Dominican Republic, where she is supposedly seeking asylum. “We asked them from the beginning to be forthright. President Benigno Aquino III himself had said their statements were not clear. This is another manifestation of what we’re saying, that the Arroyos haven’t been completely forthright with their statements," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. She cited “conflicting" reports quoting Arroyo’s camp that the Arroyo couple had never been to the Dominican Republic at all. But that statement was retracted and “updated" to indicate only the former president and not her husband had gone there. “We don’t know the circumstances, sila na mag-explain, di na dapat manggaling sa amin," Valte said. In the meantime, she said the Palace will let the Department of Justice do its work of verifying reports that Mrs. Arroyo is planning to seek political asylum in the Dominican Republic. “As far as that goes, we will wait for the report if any of Secretary (Leila) de Lima," she said. On the other hand, Valte indicated the Palace is not inclined to have the DOJ expedite the cases against Arroyo so formal charges can be filed against her in court, and hold-departure orders eventually issued against her. “What we prefer is that the DOJ go step by step. At this point we are being accused of political persecution, but there are also comments we are slow in prosecuting. We want to assure whatever cases are on the table will go through due process and the right of whoever is being accused of anything are afforded and protected," she said. She also declined to comment on suggestions that the case against Mrs. Arroyo should be expedited and a case filed in court soonest so it will be the court that will decide if Mrs. Arroyo can go abroad for medical treatment. Mrs. Arroyo’s son, party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, had been allowed by a Quezon City court to go to the United States for three weeks. The younger Arroyo faces tax evasion charges. “Whether or not a case will be filed against Mrs. Arroyo, that will have to depend on evidence. We cannot pass judgment so soon. Everything must be based on evidence," Valte said. — LBG, GMA News