MANILA, Philippines - For spreading “lies” about Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s plan to seek political asylum in the Dominican Republic, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has become the “worst violator of human rights,” a lawyer for the former president said yesterday.
“It’s a rumor concocted by the government and now circulated in public in order to get more headlines and continue embarrassing, harassing, oppressing and vilifying the Arroyos,” lawyer Raul Lambino said. He called the DOJ chief “peddler of lies.”
Lambino was commenting on De Lima’s announcement on Thursday that she had asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to look into “unverified information” that the former leader and her husband – Jose Miguel Arroyo –were trying to seek refuge in the Dominican Republic. She said there were reports that the Arroyos were holders of Dominican passports.
De Lima’s announcement came a day after her rejection of Arroyo’s request to have her problematic cervical spine treated abroad. De Lima said that Arroyo, if allowed to leave the country, will no longer return to face charges of electoral fraud and plunder – both non-bailable offenses.
“It’s obvious that Secretary De Lima and P-Noy (President Aquino) have run out of sensible legal arguments to justify their highly illegal and unconstitutional acts,” he said.
He said that after President Aquino “made a retarded offer” of flying in medical experts using taxpayers’ money to examine and possibly treat Arroyo, “De Lima and the Palace henchmen have gone mad and wild in arguing their case in public.”
“This latest statement of De Lima is an admission and indubitable proof that the P-Noy government had politically harassed, insulted and maligned the Arroyos, and will keep them suffering with degrading and inhumane treatment under his administration,” Lambino said.
He said that with the DOJ decision, every Filipino’s “liberty and sacred rights of abode and travel, and healthy life,” are at stake.
“The people have now realized that the Arroyos have longed been used by P-Noy to distract their views on the ills of the present administration,” Lambino said. “If the Arroyos are accorded short furlough while abroad for medical treatment, P-Noy will be bared and exposed in full public view daily,” he pointed out.
He said Aquino’s incompetence to lead would be unmasked once the controversy over Arroyo’s travel request is over.
“P-Noy would rather have a sick lady punching bag around being feasted and embarrassed in media and even disregard and violate the Constitution than risk being hated and ridiculed by the people for not being able to deliver them to paradise as he falsely promised and keeps promising,” Lambino said.
Lambino said lawyers of Arroyo are studying the possibility of filing a disbarment case against De Lima.
Former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo branded alleged information on the Arroyos’ asylum plans “the cheapest form of black propaganda.”
He said after usurping the powers of the courts in barring his wife from leaving the country, De Lima is now “entertaining rumors, gossips, hearsays, and intrigues.”
“Running out of basis and futile search of evidence, she found a way to hog the front pages for the nth time, truly another case of hunting-by-the-witch,” he said. “Isn’t she the one who needs an asylum somewhere in Metro Manila?”
Blame on De Lima
But for Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, the travel restriction on Arroyo stands on shaky ground and De Lima should take all the blame if it gets voided by the Supreme Court.
“Instead of issuing that unconstitutional WLO (watchlist order), she should have filed criminal charges against GMA (Mrs. Arroyo’s initials) in court, and should have obtained court-issued hold departure order against the Arroyos,” he said.
He said Bayan Muna filed with the DOJ a criminal complaint against Arroyo on July 1, 2010, the same day the former president lost her immunity from criminal prosecution. “Our case was in connection with the controversial $330-million national broadband network contract the GMA administration awarded to Chinese firm ZTE Corp. in April 2007,” he said.
Colmenares had accused the former leader of showing unusual interest in the deal since she herself witnessed the contract signing in China despite the fact that her husband was recovering in hospital from heart surgery.
He said months before the contract was given to ZTE Corp., Mrs. Arroyo and her husband met and played golf with the Chinese firm’s officers who were already then interested in the deal.
“To us, it was a strong case, but the DOJ refused to handle it and instead gave it to the Truth Commission, whose creation the Supreme Court had declared as unconstitutional. Until now, we don’t know what happened to the case,” he said.
He said aside from Bayan Muna’s complaint, several private citizens, including former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez, filed criminal charges with the DOJ against the Arroyos.
“Nothing came out of any of these cases. I don’t know why after one-and-a-half years, the DOJ could not file a criminal information in court against the Arroyos,” he added. He reiterated that De Lima’s WLO issuance violates the Constitution.
He said under the Charter, only the courts have the power to bar the travel of any Filipino citizen.
“The right to travel could be restricted in case national security, public safely or public health is affected as provided by law. No such law has been enacted,” he said.
He stressed that Bayan Muna wants the Arroyos jailed but has to grudgingly agree with them that De Lima’s WLO runs counter to the Constitution. Earlier, he predicted that the SC would rule in favor of Arroyo.
Asylum plan doubted
Sen. Gregorio Honasan said that in the absence of proof that Arroyo is planning to escape, the DOJ should give her the benefit of the doubt and let her have treatment abroad.
Sen. Edgardo Angara, meanwhile, said that Arroyo is unlikely to make an attempt to flee the country considering her stature.
“The world has become smaller and the pressure of international opinion is so great that I think no person who has occupied such a high position as she, having become chief of state, will not submit to international opinion,” Angara said. – With Jess Diaz, Marvin Sy and Evelyn Macairan