Teary-eyed GMA goes through bail proceedings at VMMC

MANILA, Philippines - Apparently saddened by the way she is being treated, a teary-eyed former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had her fingerprint samples taken at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) yesterday afternoon.

Arroyo also signed documents, including a personal data sheet, before submitting three sets of passport-size photographs to the Sandiganbayan personnel that went to the VMMC as part of the procedure of posting bail.

Arroyo, who is facing graft charges for her alleged role in the national broadband network (NBN) deal with ZTE, voluntarily submitted herself to the process.

“She appeared to be teary-eyed,” said Sandiganbayan Fourth Division bailiff Zaldy Gonzalez who assisted the former president in the fingerprinting.

“Ma’am, okay lang, madudumihan ka (is it okay that it’s dirty)?” he recalled asking Arroyo, to which the latter replied “Okay lang” as she pressed her fingers on the ink pad and a paper one after the other.

Gonzalez said Arroyo was provided with alcohol to take the ink off her fingers.

Joffre Gil Zapata, Fourth Division clerk of court, said the procedure of completing the bail proceedings at the VMMC took only about 30 minutes.

He said lawyers Jose Flaminiano, Jay Flaminiano, and Lawrence Arroyo observed the process along with Elena Bautista-Horn, Arroyo’s spokesperson.

“She looks fine, as per my observation. No longer wearing neck braces,” Zapata said, noting that courts do not take mug shots of respondents in a case, unlike the police, though photographs are required for file purposes.

Aside from Gonzalez, Fourth Division sheriff Romulo Barrozo also went to the VMMC to assist in the proceedings.

Arroyo is under hospital arrest for a separate case of electoral sabotage before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Last week, one of her lawyers paid bail for her in the amount of P70,000 after the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division chaired by Associate Justice Gregory Ong granted the former president’s request that she be allowed to undergo bail proceedings at the VMMC.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed graft cases against Arroyo, her husband former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza, and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos Sr. almost three months ago.

The former president is facing two graft charges for allegedly entering into a contract or transaction that is grossly disadvantageous to the government and for “directly or indirectly becoming interest, for personal gain, or having material interest in any transaction.”

She is separately charged with alleged violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for her act of playing golf and having lunch with ZTE Corp. officials in China while the NBN contract was pending final approval by her.

The Arroyos and Mendoza are scheduled to be arraigned on April 11, while Abalos, also detained for electoral sabotage charges before the Pasay City RTC, is yet to post bail in the amount of P30,000.