CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The husband of former President and now Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga, second district) Jose Miguel Arroyo, was permitted by the Sandiganbayan to travel to Japan from March 29 to April 4.

The former First Gentleman was asked by the anti-graft court's division to post a P60,000 travel bond before he leaves the country for a leisure trip to Japan and Europe.

But the Sandiganbayan banned Arroyo from any other travel until June.

According to Mr. Arroyo, he wants to travel to Japan "to see the cherry blossoms bloom."

He will also be in Europe from May 17 to June 8 to watch his grandchildren Michaela and Monique compete at a junior golf tournament in Scotland. Arroyo said he wishes to spend time with his grandchildren.

The camp of Mr. Arroyo thanked the court for granting the request.

Mr. Arroyo was associated in the scrapped NBN-ZTE deal and on the alleged second hand choppers sold to the Philippine National Police.