Mike A forgoes travel request

MANILA, Philippines - Refusing to take the risk of possibly losing his right to question the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to file graft charges against him, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo has decided to forgo his plan to leave for Japan and Hong Kong today.

In open court, Arroyo yesterday told his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio to just withdraw his request for permission to travel after the Sandiganbayan warned him of the possible consequences.

Arroyo’s decision to forgo his trip was in response to questions as to whether he is waiving his right to question the Office of the Ombudsman’s finding of probable cause to indict him, considering that he has already posted bail and will be out of the country while other respondents are already availing of various legal remedies to have the case dismissed.

Topacio initially tried to argue Arroyo’s position that he has the constitutional right to travel and is willing to undergo conditional arraignment in order to be given travel clearance.

Sandiganbayan magistrates led by Second Division chair Teresita Diaz-Baldos said Arroyo might be putting himself in a position that would later bar him from filing motions and pleadings because his act of posting bail and undergoing conditional arraignment could be interpreted as admission of probable cause.

Arroyo was earlier allowed by the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division – where he is facing graft charges for the national broadband network (NBN) deal anomaly – to travel to Japan and Hong Kong from June 16 to 21.

However, the Office of the Ombudsman filed another case against Arroyo last week for his supposed role in the 2009 purchase of second-hand helicopters by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that required him to ask for a separate permission to travel from the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division that issued a hold departure order (HDO) against him. – With Rudy Santos