GMA moving to Veterans Memorial Medical Center where Estrada stayed under hospital arrest

FORMER president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be transferred within five  days to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center from St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City on orders of a Pasay city court hearing the electoral sabotage complaint against her and two others.

Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 Presiding Judge Jesus Mupas yesterday ordered Arroyo’s transfer to the government hospital after quizzing Arroyo’s attending physician at SLMC Dr. Juliet Gopez-Cervantes on her present health condition.

Arroyo is likely to use the presidential suite in VMMC occupied by former President Joseph Estrada during his hospital arrest.

Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said VMMC can provide the necessary “accommodations, medical care and courtesies” fit for Arroyo.

Estrada, who was then on trial for plunder, was detained at the VMMC for a few months before being transferred to a military facility in Tanay. He was later placed under house arrest at his rest house also in Tanay.

Mupas’ order came a day after Arroyo's camp claimed that there was a plot to assassinate the former chief executive under the so-called "Operation Put the Little Girl to Sleep" which was revealed by her spokesperson, Maria Elena Bautista-Horn.

Clerk of Court Atty. Joel Pelicano said the five-day period will enable Arroyo’s camp to prepare for the transfer.

He said the court directed the Department of National Defense, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police and Southern Police District to make the necessary security arrangements for the transfer.

Pelicano said the VMMC is under the DND, while the DILG has jurisdiction over the PNP which tasked the SPD to secure her at the SLMC.

Arroyo is facing electoral sabotage charges filed by the Commission on Elections in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2007 mid-term election.

Also included in the case were former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former election supervisor Lintang Bedol.

Last November 18 Mupas issued a warrant for her arrest although the court allowed her to temporarily stay at the SLMC due to her health. But last week, one of Arroyo’s doctors, orthopedic surgeon Mario Ver, told Mupas her condition has improved and she is fit to leave the hospital anytime.

But Pelicano added that the order is without prejudice to Arroyo’s pending motion for house arrest.

One of Arroyo’s lawyers, Jose Flaminiano asked the court for 10 days to file their comment on the Comelec’s comment on the motion for house arrest. The prosecution would be given another 10 days to file their rejoinder.

Pressed on when the five-day countdown would begin, Pelicano said it would start from the receipt of the order adding the process server would start giving out copies of the order to both parties within the day.

He said that they expect the transfer to be carried out by Tuesday next week.

During yesterday’s hearing, the legal counsel of the Comelec, Maria Juana Valeza, said Arroyo should be transferred to a government facility within the day considering that her health has improved.

She added that since Arroyo is already under the jurisdiction of the court, the court has the authority to order such a move and limit her freedom.

At the same time, Pelicano also denied speculation that the order was a form of harassment against the 64-year-old Arroyo.

Flaminiano questioned the haste in which the court issued the order for her client’s transfer.

Bautista-Horn for her part said they respect the court’s order but added they reserve the right to challenge the order. She also said Arroyo should be allowed to have her doctors at the SLMC look at her if needed.

“If they are really sincere that nothing will go wrong and nothing bad happens to her, then the best thing would be a house arrest. Remember the detention of former president Arroyo is only for custodial arrangement. She has not yet been convicted by the court,” she explained.

Arroyo has been staying at the SLMC since November 15 when she and her husband, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo were prevented by immigration authorities from leaving the country ostensibly for her to get medical treatment abroad.