Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) was served with an arrest warrant following the filing of an election sabotage case by the Commission on Election today, 18 November 2011.The case was filed in the Pasay Regional Trial Court. Since exPGMA was still in St Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City, the warrant was served by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in that hospital. The booking (fingerprinting and photographing) shall be prepared tomorrow since the NBI believed the once powerful lady of the Philippines was still not capable of doing that.
In another development, the Motion for Reconsideration filed by the Solicitor General to the Supreme Court (SC) against the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by SC on the Watch List Order (WLO) by the Department of Justice (DOJ) headed by Secretary Leila De Lima, was denied with a vote of 6-7. The SC also admitted that the conditions set for the TRO was not substantially fulfilled with regard to the appointment of Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio since additional declarations have yet to be authorized. Nonetheless, the TRO can be implemented. However, one dissenting justice said that the TRO shall be suspended pending compliance. In addtion, the SC also ordered Secretary De Lima to present her case against not implementing the TRO issued.
As in the case of the powerful personalities served with arrest warrant in the Philippines, PGMA is no exception. She will be under hospital arrest until her doctors declared that she is physically capable to stay in the detention center of the Southern Police District. I think it will take time before this happens. And if it does, I'm sure she will be detained in an air-conditioned room villa like that of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Well, that's justice for John Dela Croix!
