The government, after disallowing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad, has offered to bring into the country foreign medical experts to check on the former State leader.
At a hastily called press briefing in Malacañang, no less than President Benigno Aquino III himself said his administration is even willing to shoulder the bills for the treatment of Mrs. Arroyo, an incumbent congresswoman representing the second district of Pampanga.
The President said he is wishing for the former Philippine leader’s speedy recovery.
“Bilang pagkilala ng karapatan ni Gng. Arroyo na personal na pumili ng mga espesyalistang doktor na magbibigay lunas sa kanya, maaari tayong magpapunta dito ng mga espesyalista o manggagamot mula sa alinmang panig ng mundo upang magsagawa ng kanyang eksaminasyong medikal,” Aquino said.
“Kung kinakailangan handa nating sagutin ang mga tungkuling pinansyal sa pagpapagamot ni Gng. Arroyo,” he added.
The camp of Mrs. Arroyo has yet to comment on Aquino’s offer as of posting time.
The briefing was held a day after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima announced that the government cannot allow Mrs. Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad due to, among others, the “discrepancies” between the medical abstract the Arroyo camp submitted to the Department of Justice to justify her request for an Allow Departure Order (ADO) and the letter-affidavit they earlier submitted.
Mrs. Arroyo, who is on the Immigration watch list in connection with the charges filed against her, needs to secure an ADO before she can leave the country. She is being treated for a pinched nerve and is suffering from hypoparathyroidism and a bone mineral disorder.
De Lima said there was no need for Mrs. Arroyo to leave the country because she was recuperating well and has already been attended to by doctors here in the Philippines. She cited a report by Health Secretary Enrique Ona who paid Arroyo a recent visit at her home.
The camp of Mrs. Arroyo has since brought the matter before the Supreme Court.
Supportive of De Lima’s decision
Aquino, during Wednesday’s briefing, said he fully supports De Lima’s decision to deny Mrs. Arroyo’s request. He said this is to ensure that Mrs. Arroyo will be available to face the plunder and electoral sabotage charges filed against her.
“Gagawin natin ito upang matiyak ang pagharap ng sinumang akusado sa ating hukuman at manaig ang katarungan sa ating bansa,” he said.
He added that it is not unreasonable to doubt the motive of someone who cannot make up her mind on what countries she wanted to go to.
Earlier in the day, the camp of Mrs. Arroyo maintained that the former president has no plans of fleeing from the charges against her, and that the “escape scenario” is just a “figment” of De Lima’s imagination.
The President said when Mrs. Arroyo asked for a travel authority before the House of Representatives, she mentioned six countries she wanted to visit. But only three countries were indicated in an affidavit she submitted to the DOJ.
He added last week, Mrs. Arroyo changed one of the countries on her list.
“Sa makailang beses niyang pagsusumite ng mga di-nagtutugmang listahan ng mga bansa, nito lamang Nobyembre 2 niya naisipang banggitin ang doktor na titingin sa kaniya,” Aquino said.
“Hindi po ba kung magpapaalam ka para magpagamot ng iyong karamdaman, mula’ t sapul pa lamang ay alam mo na kung kanino ka kokonsulta at kung nasaang bansa siya, lalo pa kung alam mong may nakabinbing kaso laban sa iyo?” he asked.
No full trust
Asked if he has trust in the former President, Aquino said he cannot give his full trust to someone who cannot truthfully declare where she is going.
“Hindi ko ho pine-personal ito. (Pero) paano natin dapat paniwalaan nang buong-buo ‘yong sinasabi niyang aalis ako, magpapagamot, babalik ako kung ‘yon nga ho pabago-bago pa iyong mga bansang binabanggit niya?” he said.
The President also found it funny that Mrs. Arroyo questioned before the court Memorandum Circular 41 which was issued and implemented during her term.
Asked if he is willing to talk to his predecessor, Aquino answered in the affirmative. “Bakit hindi? Guro ko naman siya noong araw; nakakatanda sa akin; babae pa ho siya; siya ay may karamdaman, bakit naman ho natin iiwasan ‘yon?” he said. — KBK/RSJ/HS, GMA News
0.000000
0.000000
Posted in asian beliefs and culture, asian tourims, blogging, court, court of appeals, Daily News, judiciary, Landmarks, Philippine News, politics and religion, science and technology, supreme court of the philippines
Tagged Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il), AFP vs ASG, Ali Peek, AMLC, angela arroyo tax case, anti-corruption drive, anti-human rights, Anti-Money Laundering Council, apellate court, armm elections, armm polls, ARMM war, asian beliefs and culture, asian tourims, Associate Justice Celia Librea-Leagogo, Associate Justice Florito Macalino, Associate Justices Remedios Salazar-Fernando, atong ang, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), BARRACK OBAMA, Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Basilan ambush, biology, blog, blogging, blogs, BLOOD WAR, books, brokenlink, budget claims, bush, business, california, campaign against graft and corruption in the Philippines, canada, cars, cartoons, censorship, Charice Pempengco's dad, charlie "atong" ang, children, china, christmas, cinema, clan war in maguindanao, comedy, comics, commercial establishment, computers, copper millberry, copyright, corruption campaign, court, Court of Appeals, crime, culture, cyber crimes, Dae Mang Mulsan Co., daily news, david beckham, dead sea history, deadlink, death, department of justice, department of justice philippines, department of national defense, design, displaced PAL employees, documentary, DPWH, drugs, dubious activities, Eastwest Bank, economics, economy, education, Edwin dela Cruz, Eidul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), election, election cheating, elections, environment, Events, evolution, FASAP, fashion, fiction, film, FITNESS guru and actress Marie Roxanne “Plinky” Recto, flash, Floyd vs Pacquiao, food, football, former ARMM regional governor, former Maguidanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan, france, free, free food, free rides, freeze order, fun, funny, game, games, gaming, gay, georgebush, georgewbush, gilbert perdez broadcaster, gilbert perdez filipino broadcast journalist, Gilbert Perdez Filipino Journalist, gilbert perdez filipino writer, gilbert perdez kbp member, gilbert perdez Pinoy journalist, Gilbert Perdez radio reporter, gilbert perdez reporter, gma, gma arroyo, Goldsphere Metal Marketing, google, government, Green Asia construction firm, group sites, gwb, health, history, House of Representatives, humor, Hyung Kwon Kim, ice making machines, illustration, immigration, Inc. (Mivan), Inc. (R-II), india, internet, internet crimes, internet scandal, internet sex, Introduction, iran, iraq, iraqwar, islam, israel, jai alai, Japan, jihad, johnny english, journalism, judiciary, Julian Henri R. Peña, justice sec de lima, Keppel Offshore and Marine management tragedy, kobe bryant, Landmarks, language, law, leah armamento, libyan forces, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, literature, london, Ltd., maguindanap massacre, Majestic Metal Trading, malacanang, maps, massacre, math, Maybank Phils. and United Coconut Planters Bank, Mayweather vs Ortiz, mayweather vs pacquiao, media, medicine, meridien vista corporation, Michael Elbinias, microsoft, mike arroyo, mikey arroyo tax evasion case, military, Mivan Builders, MMDA, money, money maker, money making, movie, movies, mp3, mp4, mr. bean\, murder, music, nasa, NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula, new york bombing, news, news daily, newsfilter, newyork, newyorktimes, Nirvana Metal Trading, nsfw, nyc, nytimes, OBAMA, obit, obituary, observations, Office of the City Prosecutor of Pasig City., oil deregulation law, Ombudsman, ormer Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos, pacman vs marquez, Pacquiao vs Marquez, pacquiao vs mayweather, PAL employees, palace, PALEA, parody, PBA Games, PBA star Ali Peek, PBA stars, pedophile, Peek, pentagon attacks, PETA, PEZA, Philippine Airlines, Philippine News, philippine's supreme court, philosophy, photographs, photography, photos, physics, pinoy news, poetry, politics, politics and religion, poll fraud, price escalation, privacy, psychology, Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno “Magsie” Peña, R-II Builders, RA 9160, race, racism, radio, ramadan, rape priest, rapist priest, regis romero, religion, Renato Besa Banal, research, road construction tragedy, road works, rock, russia, satire, SC ruling recall, science, science and technology, sciencefiction, security, senate, sex, software, space, sports, Sr.; former Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer; former DOJ Secretary Alberto Agra; former Acting Region XII regional election director Michael Abas; former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces o, Sr.; former Maguindanao provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol; and former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas, summary hearing, supreme court of the philippines, swindling, technology, television, terror attacks, terrorism, terrorists, Then and Now, Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List), travel, tv, twin tower attacts, uk, united kingdom, united states of america, us, usa, video, videogames, war, war in libya, web, women, Women's right groups, writing, youtube, Zacaria Candao