MANILA -- The camp of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo on Monday said the government is railroading the process of indicting the former presidential couple in the rigging of 2007 senatorial election results.
This developed after the panel formed by the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) tasked to look into allegations of electoral fraud ended its probe despite opposition from Arroyo's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.
"It was a bad move of the panel because we still have two motions pending before the Supreme Court, the legality of the watchlist order and the formation of the DOJ-Comelec panel. They should respect the SC by deferring the proceedings for now until such time that a resolution on those motions will be released," he told reporters after the hearing at the Justice department.
Last week, Topacio petitioned the High Court to declare the panel as illegal since it was allegedly formed to prosecute "certain persons and incidents only" including Arroyo.
Days earlier, Topacio asked the court to nullify the watchlist order issued against his client, citing the department's violation of a person’s constitutional right to travel.
"What if the SC will rule against the constitutionality of this probe? All proceedings will be rendered useless," he said.
Arroyo and his wife, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not submit their respective counter-affidavits. With this development, the panel said the complaints are now submitted for resolution. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)