Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said that possible medical treatment abroad for former President and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga province was not a reason to suspend or delay preliminary investigation of a case of electoral sabotage that the country’s former leader was facing.
Even if Mrs. Arroyo left for such treatment, de Lima added, she could be represented by a lawyer in the case.
The Justice secretary was wondering why the former president was too eager to leave the country when news reports said that she has no plans to leave and yet the Arroyo camp was requesting an allowed departure order (ADO) for the former leader.
De Lima said that the electoral-sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo was important because it involved the nation’s interest.
As such, she added, the litigants, not the Department of Justice-Commission on Elections panel looking into the case, should make adjustments.
The panel has required the Arroyos who were required to appear before it on November 3.
Malacañang and the Justice department also on Tuesday separately denied that they were blocking the release of the ADO for Mrs. Arroyo.
De Lima and Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said that the Arroyo camp had failed to comply with requirements for the order to be released.
In the interest of justice, Mrs. Arroyo should seek medical treatment for her brittle spine in countries with which the Philippines has an extradition treaty, a leader of the House of Representatives said also on Tuesday.
Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya of Cavite province, also the secretary-general of President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s Liberal Party, made the suggestion on the day that copies of the travel authority granted to the former president and approved by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. were provided to members of the media.
Under an extradition treaty, a person convicted or alleged to have committed a crime who is in another country will be transported to his/her home country.
Belmonte allowed Mrs. Arroyo to travel to the United States, Germany, Singapore, Spain and Italy from October 22 to December 5, 2011.
The Philippines has an extradition treaty with Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Micronesia, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States.
WITH REPORTS FROM JAIME PILAPIL AND LLANESCA T. PANTI
