THE transfer of former president now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City yesterday was delayed by wrangling over how to bring her to her new place of detention – by air or land.

Citing security reasons, the Philippine National Police wanted Mrs. Arroyo to travel in an air ambulance which would take only about 10 minutes to bring her from the posh St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City to VMMC where she will be detained while facing trial for electoral sabotage.

However, the Arroyo camp vehemently opposed the proposal saying that the weather was inclement and they preferred land travel.

A low pressure area soaked Metro Manila in incessant rain which compelled the Department of Education to suspend classes in all levels in the metropolis.

Elena Bautista Horn, spokesperson of the Arroyos, said “kahit mag-taxi na lang kami.”

She cited the former President’s “trauma” from two helicopter crashes she had gone through.

Mrs. Arroyo, according to Horn, was already prepared as early as 5 a.m. to move out of St. Luke’s but her trip was delayed several hours due to the travel mode issue.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said it was not important if the former president was to travel by land or air as long as she reached VMMC safe and secure.

He said air travel should have been more secure if not for the bad weather.

Robredo also dismissed claims from the Arroyo camp that the government could have deliberately delayed the transfer to wait for the anti-Arroyo demonstrators to arrive at St. Luke’s.

Part of the security procedure was to send ahead a decoy convoy not bearing Mrs. Arroyo.

The three-day “extension” of Mrs. Arroyo’s stay at the SLMC lapsed yesterday.

No dramatics please, and no taking a taxi ride.

Thus said Malacanang as it brushed aside the hullabaloo over the transfer of Mrs. Arroyo to VMMC.

“There is no need for anyone to be overly excited or agitated. We are just taking into account logistical and security considerations. There is no delay. Everything is on time. The day is young and there’s plenty of time to effect the transfer. The order will be complied with in due time,” Carandang said.

As for the Arroyo camp’s tongue-in-cheek proposal that they take a taxi to VMMC since the former president had been waiting since 5 a.m. for the transfer, Carandang said: “I don’t think they are serious about taking a taxi there. We won’t allow that to happen either. I don’t think that’s a serious proposition.”

Robredo said if Mrs. Arroyo was to travel by air the PNP would use an air ambulance instead of the Robinson R44 Raven helicopters that were the subject of a Senate investigation earlier this year.

“The air ambulance can seat up to 5-6 people and it is very comfortable,” Robredo said.

Former first gentleman Mke Arroyo is currently facing charges for allegedly selling two secondhand Robinson R44 Raven helicopters at brand-new prices to the PNP in 2009. The two helicopters were part of five choppers that Arroyo allegedly bought for the election campaign of his wife in 2004.

Mr. Arroyo has denied owning the choppers. His brother, Iggy, earlier claimed that he chartered the choppers from Lionair Inc.

Land trip

Finally Mrs. Arroyo traveled by land.

At exactly 4:12 p.m. yesterday, a police coaster carrying Mrs. Arroyo and her family arrived at the VMMC escorted by heavily-armed police officers.

“The transfer of detention of Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center went smoothly. Rep. Arroyo was transported to the VMMC and escorted by PNP security elements from the NCRPO, HPG and PSPG,” said PNP chief, Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome.

Officials of VMMC officially admitted the Pampanga lawmaker in the hospital’s newly-refurbished presidential suite which has been compared by DILG chief Robredo to a mini-hotel.

Robredo and Gen. Bartolome made it clear there will be no VIP treatment for the former president.

“The PNP and the VMMC are fully-prepared for Mrs. Arroyo’s stay. The security preparations in the area are fit for a former president,” said the DILG chief.

Gen. Bartolome said they considered all options in transferring Arroyo to the VMMC which include land and air transport.

“But at around 10 a.m., I called off the option to transfer her by chopper,” the PNP chief said citing bad weather. Bartolome was given full authority by Robredo to supervise the transfer of the former president.

He said that they will follow all court orders regarding the stay of Mrs. Arroyo at the VMMC. That includes banning the entry of cell phones, computer laptops and other communication gadgets.

As part of the tight security, Mrs. Arroyo won’t be allowed to roam the VMMC area. The idea of allowing Arroyo, a devout Catholic, to hear mass at the VMMC chapel is also still out of consideration at the moment due to reported threats on her life as alleged by her camp who reported the assassination plot dubbed “Put the Little Girl to Sleep.”

Even the use of the presidential suite’s kitchen will be banned for the meantime since the unsupervised presence of knives and other bladed weapons is prohibited in any custodial facility, Bartolome said.  He said that Police Security and Protection Group director, Chief Superintendent Lina Sarmiento, the only female police general at present will supervise the close-in security for the former president.

“Chief Supt. Sarmiento has discussed the food matter with Mrs. Arroyo’s camp. I think they agreed that cooked food will be brought inside the suite,” he said.

The Task Force Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be commanded by PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Deputy Director General  Arturo Cacdac Jr. Cacdac’s deputy is PNP Director for Operations, Director Leocadio Santiago Jr.

The overall security in Metro Manila is headed by National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Alan Purisima while the Quezon City Police District headed by Chief Supt. George Regis was tasked to secure the VMMC  24 hours a day.