CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga advised Tuesday former President and now Pampanga second district Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to elevate her bail petition to the Supreme Court.
Barzaga, an ally of President Benigno Aquino III, said Arroyo's camp can bring their appeal for bail before the High Court since the Sandiganbayan has repeatedly denied their bail petition.
"If Arroyo believes there has been abuse of discretion on the part of the Sandiganbayan, she could file a petition before the Supreme Court questioning the Sandiganbayan's decision," said Barzaga.
The Cavite representative's point of view came after the Dean of College of Law of the Far Eastern University (FEU) insinuated that "the anti-graft court might have gone wrong when it denied Arroyo's petition for bail."
The former President’s continuous detention at Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City without bail based on "mere hearsay testimony of a government witness is not admissible in court," opined FEU dean Antonio Abad.
Abad added that while the case of plunder is non-bailable, the court may still grant bail if evidence presented are weak, as was in the case of Arroyo’s alleged co-conspirator.
Arroyo is facing plunder for the alleged misuse of the confidential intelligence fund (CIF) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) aside from electoral sabotage charge in a Pasay Court.
Mrs. Arroyo was implicated in the plunder case for having allegedly signed a marginal note “OK” on the request of former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriate’s request for the use of the CIF.