Lakas lawmakers seek house arrest for Arroyo

ALLIES of detained Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appealed to the Sandiganbayan to grant her wish for a house arrest due to the former leader's deteriorating health condition.

Representatives Danilo Suarez (Quezon, 3rd district) and Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (Leyte, 1st district) said Arroyo's health condition could improve if the court will allow the former leader to be placed under house arrest and be treated in a hospital of her choice.

Suarez and Romualdez are both members of Arroyo's Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.

Arroyo has been detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) while undergoing trial for a plunder case in relation to the alleged misuse of P336-million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) confidential intelligence fund during her term as President.

"I appeal to the good heart of our Sandiganbayan justices to allow the treatment of the former President in a hospital of her choice. For humanitarian reason, she should be given bail or at least be placed under house arrest in her La Vista residence (in Quezon City)," said Romualdez.

For his part, Suarez said that placing the former chief executive under house arrest may "psychologically" improve her condition.

The former House minority floor leader who visited the Pampanga lawmaker at VMMC last weekend, said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has imposed restrictions on Arroyo, including banning her from attending Mass inside the hospital's chapel, limiting her sun exposure to one hour a day, and prohibiting conjugal visits and overnight stays of members of the family.

"Nalimitahan na kasi ang kanyang oras para sa sunlight at pag-ikot sa lugar after attending mass. Medyo naghigpit talaga sa kanya ang security. Kahit naman emergency situation siya after ng choking incident, psychologically baka makatulong kung sa bahay niya sa La Vista na lamang siya mag-stay," said Suarez.

One of Arroyo's physicians, Dr. Martha Nucum, has placed Arroyo under close medical watch after a recent near-fatal choking incident and the diminishing effectiveness of her pain medications.

Nucum said that the former President is now also suffering from recurrent dysphagia or difficulty of swallowing solid food because of esophageal stenosis or a blockage in her esophagus caused by a degenerative spine disease.

The former President was placed under general anesthesia following choking incident on a broccoli stem. (Sunnex)

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph