ALELI Arroyo, the wife of the late Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, returned from London late evening  Saturday vowing to press her fight to bring home the body of her estranged husband.

Arroyo and her lawyer  Lorna Kapunan arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at about 9:30 p.m. on an Emirates Airlines flight from London via UAE.

Upon arrival at the airport, Arroyo told some reporters that she will exhaust all legal measures to stop Grace Ibuna, alleged live-in partner of the late lawmaker, from her plan to cremate the body of Iggy in London.

“We were made to understand by Bianca, the daughter of Congressman Ignacio Arroyo who has been instructing the funeral parlor, that she is deferring to Aleli, the valid wife. Aleli and Bianca both agreed on the funeral arrangements and repatriation of the remains to the Philippines."

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Arroyo said Ibuna supposedly filed a complaint before a British court against her client and the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom.

Kapunan said they are questioning the jurisdiction of the UK court over her client who is a Filipino.

She also stressed that aside from legal remedies, Arroyo as the legal wife, will be forced to exhaust other legal, including diplomatic, options.

“Mrs. Arroyo intends to seek the help and assistance of Speaker of House to make proper representations to the court there or to Ms. Ibuna to respect the House and before any legal battle that she may want to file,” she added. 

Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr., meanwhile appealed to all concerned parties to set aside their differences so that the House of Representatives can give proper tribute to the late congressman.

“I appeal for them to settle their differences as soon as possible and reunite once and for all so that we can extend the necessary respect that we can give during the necrological services at the House of Representatives to our departed colleague. I thought it was not complicated like this,” Belmonte said in an interview.

Belmonte clarified that the House cannot interfere in the legal issue between Iggy’s estranged wife, Mrs. Alicia “Aleli” Morales Arroyo, and the late congressman’s partner, Grace Ibuna, regarding the repatriation of the lawmaker’s remains.

“We should not get involved in that,” said Belmonte in reaction to the statement of Lorna Kapunan, lawyer of Aleli, that they may seek the help of the Lower Chamber after they failed to repatriate the remains of the congressman.

“All we can do is to appeal so that necrological rites can be given to our colleague regardless of the political color because that is the right of every member,” said Belmonte on the necrological services for Iggy earlier set for tomorrow.

House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II and Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello strongly backed the appeal of Belmonte.

With Ryan Ponce Pacpaco