FORMER President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not responding to medication and is still weak and frail, her lawyers said Tuesday.
Modesto Ticman and Larry Gadon said Arroyo’s health had not improved under hospital arrest.
Arroyo is confined at the Veterans Medical Memorial Center and is facing charges of electoral fraud and misuse of $8.8 million in state lottery funds.
“Frankly, I haven’t seen her in the last two weeks but her attending physicians told lawmakers she is frail and still experiencing pain swallowing,” Gadon told The Standard.
Following the lawyers’ announcement, lawmakers on Tuesday crossed party lines and welcomed the decision of the House committee on justice to adopt a resolution in Congress calling for a house arrest for Arroyo.
Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., and Quezon City Rep. Bolet Banal praised the approval of House Resolution 1908 filed by House Deputy Minority Leader and 1-BAP party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III.
HR 1908 seeks to allow Arroyo’s house arrest due to her debilitating medical condition.
At least 80 lawmakers have signed the Bello resolution that will be later be transmitted to the plenary for further action.
The justice committee led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. approved the resolution Tuesday by a vote of 8 against one. Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez objected to it.
“This is a welcome development and we hope the House leadership will finally adopt this in the plenary as soon as possible,” said Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association.
“Let us show compassion to her condition.”
Martha Nocum, assistant chief for medical professional staff of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, told lawmakers Arroyo’s health was not improving and that she was not responding to medication.