Arroyo to stay overnight in Quezon City hospital

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday morning arrived at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City for an overnight medical checkup.

Former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo accompanied the former president to the hospital.

The Sandiganbayan earlier granted Arroyo's request to undergo a two-day medical checkup from Wednesday to Thursday.

The court cited humanitarian reasons for giving the former president, now Pampanga representative, permission to leave the Veterans Memorial Medical Center where she has been under police custody since 2012.

“In view of her progressing left arm radiculopathy and weak grip, which could be attributed to her three major cervical spine operations, we are also requesting a repeat electromyography with nerve conduction velocity test to localize the involved nerve roots,” Arroyo’s doctors said in a medical certificate submitted to the Sandiganbayan.

Doctors from the VMMC noted that the hospital does not have the necessary equipment for Arroyo's medical tests.

Arroyo is under hospital arrest for the plunder charges filed against her in connection with the P365-million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund anomaly during her term as leader.

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