GMA freed after posting P1M bail

MANILA, Philippines — Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was released yesterday after posting a P1 million bail for her temporary liberty for the electoral sabotage case in relation to the alleged cheating in Maguindanao during the May 2007 mid-term elections.

Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jesus Mupas granted yesterday the bail petition of Arroyo.

Arroyo prayed after she heard the news that the court had granted her petition for bail.

Lawyers of Arroyo led by Ray Montri Arroyo immediately posted P1 million cash bond and secured an order of release of Arroyo.

Arroyo was released after eight months of detention at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City where she is undergoing treatment for her ailments.

However, the RTC said Arroyo could only leave the country after getting permission from the court.

Arroyo’s convoy left the hospital, where she has been detained since December, at around 2:30 p.m. and went directly to her home in the posh La Vista subdivision in Quezon City.

In a seven page resolution read by RTC branch 112 spokesperson Felda Domingo, the judge ruled that the prosecution failed to present a strong case in their opposition to the bail petition of Arroyo.

The court however, denied the bail petitions of Arroyo’s co-accused former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former Maguindanao election officer Lintang Bedol.

Mupas said the bail petitions of Ampatuan and Bedol were denied after state witness Norie Unas,former Maguindanao provincial administrator and close adviser of the governor, testified that Ampatuan gave him money to provide logistical provided logistical support to local election officers to ensure the victory of TeamUnity senatorial candidates of the Arroyo administration.

Several witnesses pointed to Bedol as the alleged leader of the cheating in the Maguindanao polls.

Ampatuan is currentlydetained at the Philippine National Police detention cell at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. The former governor was earlier detained with his co-accused in the killing of 57 people in the co-called Maguindanao massacre in 2009.

Bedol is detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Domingo explained that although electoral sabotage is a non-bailable offense, the prosecution, which is headed by Commission on Election (Comelec) lawyers failed to present strong and convincing evidence in the direct participation of Arroyo in the alleged cheating after several court hearings that started in May.

The Comelec has presented 10 witnesses including Unas who testified that he overheard Arroyo instructing former governor Ampatuan to ensure the 12-0 victory of the Team Unity senatorial bets during the May 2007 mid-term elections.

Domingo, however, clarified that the ruling only applies to the bail petition and the merits of the case will be deliberated on during the trial to determine if Arroyo and her co-accused are guilty or not.

The pretrial hearing of the case was set on Aug. 23.

“The court has cast doubt on the testimony of former Maguindanao administrator Norie Unas that he overheard former President Arroyo giving orders to ensure the 12-0 victory for the Team Unity,” she said.

The court also took note of the testimony of Unas that he testified against Arroyo in exchange for his immunity from criminal charges.

Government prosecutors last week filed a separate plunder charges at the Sandiganbayan against her and nine other former officials for alleged misuse of P365 million from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

Topacio said Arroyo’s lawyers have filed motions questioning the filing of the plunder charges without first informing Arroyo of the criminal investigation results so she could respond to them before an indictment is made.

Arroyo and her husband former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo face a separate graft case also in the Sndiganbayan related to an overpriced government contract with Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE Corp. for a $330 million national broadband project that was later scuttled because of the scandal. They pleaded not guilty during arraignment in April.

GMA prayed and thanked God

Arroyo daughter Evangeline “Luli” Arroyo-Bernas said that her mother immediately prayed and thanked God after learning that she was allowed to post bail.

Bernas said she rushed to the VMMC and got emotional upon hearing the news.

“She (Arroyo) said thank God and we all prayed,” Bernas said.

 “I embraced her tightly and broke down because I could not believe that this was happening,” she said. “ I remembered the trials are family went Bernas said it was her mother who actually calm her down and other family members and friends who were in the hospital suite.

“It (bail) showed that there is still hope for justice in the country. For us, we have always followed and respected the legal process because we know if everyone followed the process and the rule of law, she will be proven innocent,” she said.

Former first gentleman Mike Arroyo said he was at the hospital suite at the VMMC when the sheriff brought the release order of Judge Mupas in the morning.

“We read the order together and we were both surprised and happy by the order,” he said, adding he felt vindicated as from the start; there was no evidence to support the case against his wife.

He said the former president ate plenty of champorado (cocoa rice porridge) after reading the order.

“She lost a much weight, she’s really thin,” he said.

He said the family would immediately hold a Thanksgiving Mass and have a simple celebration last night.

When the news of the detained lawmakers granted bail spread, her allies in Congress

Mr. Arroyo and House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez in separate statements said in until she was released, Arroyo was still apprehensive that there would be last minute attempts to prevent her from leaving VMMC.

Suarez said he and other congressional allies and former Cabinet officials visited Arroyo when the news of her bail came out.

He said Arroyo could seek permission to be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.

“It would be better if government doctors verify and attest to the medical bulletin suggesting that she get medical treatment abroad, so that there would be no objection from Malacañang,” Suarez said.

Weak evidence

Former Executive Judge Mienrado Paredes of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 13 told The FREEMAN that Arroyo’s posting of bail only shows that the evidence presented by the prosecution is weak, but this does not mean she will be cleared of the charges.

Lawyer Earl Bonachita, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter, also said that the prosecution presented weak evidence.

“It appears that the trial court was not convinced that the prosecution established enough evidence that conspiracy exists on the part of accused Arroyo especially that the prosecution presented only one witness and whose credibility it doubted. With that, the trial court found that the evidence of guilt is not yet strong, hence, the grant of bail,” he said. — Philippine Star News Service with Mylen P. Manto/LPM