Miriam wants to visit ailing GMA

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she would like to pay a visit to former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is recuperating from spine surgery.

“Bibisita sana ako para magbigay manlang simpatya, kawawa daw namamayat na ng husto. Hindi pa kami nagkita hagggang ngayon, dahil nabasa ko sa dyaryo, dalawa lang bisita sa isang araw (I want to pay her a visit to give my sympathies. I was told she is in a pitiful state and had lost so much weight. We have not seen each other up to now because I’ve read in the papers that she can receive only two visitors in a day),” Santiago said.

“She is a good friend and she is physically suffering and it is my Christian duty at the very least to pay her a visit,” she added. The administration earlier announced that graft charges will be filed against Arroyo by next month.

Santiago, however, warned Arroyo’s detractors to go easy on the Arroyo family until they have gathered enough evidence to pin them down in courts.

“If there is an impression that the administration is obsessed in going after the Arroyos, that they have targeted the Arroyo administration, (that is) a violation of the equal protection of the laws clause… That’s already a violation of their own human rights and equal protection clause,” Santiago said in a interview with radio dzBB. She said the Aquino administration’s supposed targeting of the Arroyo family in his anti-corruption drive is perceived as a “surgical strike.” “Kung ang tao ang dami-dami niyang kaso na sunod sunod (If somebody has so many charges filed against him), this creates a suspicion in the public that they are being surgically targeted, na surgical strike na ito (That this is a surgical strike),” Santiago said. “There is a general fight versus corruption but there is a surgical strike against the Arroyo family, so this will have legal implications.”

Another senator, who requested anonymity, said the administration has become too focused in going after the Arroyos. “This has become a one-issue government. It is to go after the Arroyos,” the senator said. Santiago noted that in the case of Mike Arroyo’s alleged hand in the granting of P660-million loan to businessman and former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, the Senate has not found any evidence linking the former first gentleman to the loans. “Well that is subject to proof. Sinabi ng ating committee na wala silang natuklasan na evidensya (Our committee has said they have not found evidence),” Santiago said.