CHARGE and arraign GMA. Then allow her to leave.

Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada made this call to the government after President Benigno Aquino III supported the decision of the Department of Justice not to allow former President now Pampanga Rep.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad.

In a statement, Tañada lauded President Aquino’s action saying it only shows that he is protecting the integrity of the justice system.

And now that the decision is already final, the next step for the DoJ is start the arraignment of the cases filed against Arroyo, he said.

Arroyo is facing several plunder cases and election cheating charges.

“I urge the DoJ to quickly charge her and have her arraigned. After she is arraigned, she can be allowed to leave. If we would recall, President Estrada was allowed to leave to have his surgery in Hong Kong but he was already arraigned by then,” Tanada said.

“Now that a decision has been made, may this facilitate Mrs. Arroyo’s immediate arraignment in order that she may be placed under the jurisdiction of the court and allow the justice system to take its course,” he added.

The former President was not allowed to leave on suspicion that she may not return and evade the cases filed against her.

While her camp repeatedly said that Arroyo will come back, Tanada said that even the people may not trust her.

“I'm not sure if the people would really accept her word that she will come back,” Tanada said.