Gloria Arroyo back at VMMC after attending grandson’s funeral

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was brought back to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City on Monday afternoon after attending the funeral of her 13-month-old grandson in Makati.

A report on radio DZBB by GMA News' Divine Reyes said Arroyo's convoy arrived at the VMMC at about 3:30 p.m. The convoy included a police partrol car, police ambulance and a white van.

According to a separate report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali,” Arroyo left VMMC at 8:20 a.m. and headed straight to the Santuario De San Antonio Parish inside Forbes Park in Makati City to attend the funeral mass for her grandson Jorge Alonso "Jugo" Arroyo Bernas.



The report said the burial was done in the afternoon, with a private and solemn ceremony that was off-limits to the media.

Jugo, son of Arroyo's only daughter Luli, died on Nov. 2 due to a congenital heart disease.

The “Balitanghali” report said Luli has thanked the media for respecting the privacy of her family, as well as to the people who expressed their condolences.

The Sandiganbayan has earlier allowed Arroyo to stay at the place of her grandson's funeral from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday.

Prior to the date of the funeral, Arroyo was also allowed by the Sandiganbayan to leave VMMC for six days, from November 4 to 9, to attend Jugo's wake.

Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing Pampanga's second district, has been detained at the VMMC since 2012 for plunder charges in connection with the alleged misuse of P366 million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds. —Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News