Luli, Mikey campaign for mom

MANILA, Philippines - The children of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are taking turns campaigning for their mother in the second congressional district of the province.

Arroyo, who is detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City, has not filed any petition before the Sandiganbayan, which is hearing her plunder case, to grant her a few days pass to personally campaign for her re-election.

The 66-year-old former leader is currently barred from granting interviews and the use of communication equipment even as her lawyers have sought bail and continue to insist that the Aquino administration does not have a case at all against their client.

Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, who is no longer running for re-election, and Evangeline “Luli” Arroyo-Bernas, help each other out in campaigning for their mother.

A member of the staff of Arroyo’s office, however, said Mikey is more heavily involved in the effort as he is familiar with political work while Luli attends to her family.

“He (Mikey) does the meetings with barangay leaders and supporters,” the staff member said.

Earlier, House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to file a petition to allow Arroyo to personally campaign. Arroyo was detained at VMMC due to a degenerative disease afflicting her spine.

“The Comelec can show compassion and justify its appeal as part of ensuring fair play in the coming elections. She is under hospital detention and quite sickly,” Suarez said.

Suarez said while Arroyo is almost given assurance of re-election, she remains entitled to personally wage a campaign.

Arroyo was released briefly last year after being allowed to post bail by the Pasay regional trial court on her electoral sabotage case due to lack of evidence. She, however, was arrested again for plunder that is widely seen by legal experts as another weak case.

Her lawyers allege that the Aquino administration is bent on keeping her in detention by lining up non-bailable charges against her.