GMA camp to seek New Year furlough

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will ask the court to allow the Pampanga lawmaker to spend the New Year at her home in La Vista subdivision, Quezon City.

Lawyer Jose Flaminiano said they will ask Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay City Court Branch 112 to reconsider his decision denying the Christmas furlough motions for Arroyo from Dec. 23 to Jan 2, 2012.

Mupas turned down the request citing security reasons.

“Besides, this would avoid possible unnecessary security problems and complaints of residents of La Vista who would be subjected to security restrictions once Arroyo is allowed to stay at the exclusive subdivision for the holidays,” he explained.

Mupas also noted the incident where Arroyo’s camp and the Department of the Interior and Local Government blamed each other for the delay in her transfer from St. Luke’s Medical Center to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) last Dec. 9.

Mupas though allowed Arroyo family members, including her grandchildren, to stay with the former president at the VMMC from Dec. 24 until noon the following day and from Dec. 31 until noon of Jan. 2, 2012.

Arroyo is facing charges of electoral sabotage, which is a non-bailable offense.

The court granted Arroyo hospital arrest taking notice of her fragile medical condition following her successive operations on her cervical spine.

Arroyo, along with former Maguindanao provincial elections supervisor Lintang Bedol, and former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. are accused of rigging the 2007 elections in favor of her senatorial candidates in Maguindanao province.