House Independent bloc Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Friday appealed for mercy and compassion from the Sandiganbayan to consider the petition for house arrest for ailing Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Romualdez said he is hopeful the Sandiganbayan “would respond positively” to the decision of the House of Representatives to pass a resolution that will virtually grant the former president a temporary freedom to seek proper medical attention.
Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), also lauded the action taken by the House leadership led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II.
“We thank the House leadership and our colleagues for their support to the plight of the former President,” Romualdez said.
“She should be allowed to stay in her residence for cure and treatment because this would do more good on her failing health. Let us show compassion to her condition,” Romualdez added.
House Deputy Minority Leader and 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III, who authored House Resolution 1908 also welcomed the House’s considerable action to his resolution for the 67-year old Arroyo.
“I am happy for the former president, and I do hope the Sandiganbayan will show mercy and compassion which will surely have a curing effect on the illness of fpGMA,” Bello told The Standard.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, a senior member of the House Minority Bloc, said the issue involving the former leader is no longer a political issue but “human life.”
“We do hope and pray the Sandiganbayan will seriously consider the house arrest appeal for former president Arroyo. She is terribly sick,” Albano said.
Bello’s resolution seeks to express the sense of the Lower House to allow Arroyo house arrest due to her debilitating medical conditions as per advised of her doctors.
At least a hundred House members have signed the Bello resolution.
Arroyo is facing a plunder case over the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds during her term as President.
Doctors of Arroyo had earlier said the former president had continued to lose weight because of her esophageal stenosis or the narrowing of the esophagus resulting in recurrent dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing of solid food.
Arroyo also has been complaining of cervical radicular and low back pain.