PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has yet to decide if she would attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summit and Nuclear Security Summit abroad with the present health condition of her husband.
The President cancelled all her public appointments since Thursday to stay with First Gentleman Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, who was rushed to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City after he complained of back pains related to his heart surgery in 2007.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar, in an interview by Radyo ng Bayan, said the Arroyo family is still waiting for new medical bulletins from the attending physicians, including if he would be fit to travel to Baguio City for the First Family's annual Holy Week vacation.
Olivar said there is also no word yet when the President will resume her public engagements, including her campaign for congresswoman of Pampanga’s third district.
He said President Arroyo knows the importance of some events, especially the Asean Summit from April 8 to 9 in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in the United States of America from April 12 to 13.
She, however, would make her decision at the right time, said Olivar, adding that the trips are still a couple of weeks away.
"Obviously, yung kanyang mga public engagement lalo na iyung kanyang pangangampanya naka-hold muna iyan sapagkat minamabuti ng Pangulo na bantayang mabuti ang kanyang maybahay sa St. Luke's," he said.
Olivar said the important thing is that Arroyo continues to attend to her governance work with the help of her Cabinet, led by Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr., with whom she continues to communicate with to issue instructions or inquire about the different programs.
He said the President, at present, would continue to work in her satellite office at St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City in Taguig to be with the First Gentleman, who is still under close observations by attending doctors.
Olivar said the condition of the First Gentleman continues to improve daily, adding that the President's husband has started to receive "bedside rehabilitation" and medication.
Olivar enjoined the public to continue praying for the immediate recovery of the First Gentleman and for the First Family to remain strong as they face the "medical situation of the First Gentleman."
Doctors attending Mr. Arroyo later diagnosed the First Gentleman’s condition as "re-dissection of the thoracic aorta" similar to the dissecting aneurisym he suffered in April 2007. (JMR/Sunnex)