MANILA, Philippines - A decoy convoy was deployed and bad weather forced authorities to scrap a planned airlift as former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was transferred yesterday from St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.
At 3:20 p.m., Arroyo finally left SLMC in a private coaster and was taken to the VMMC in a police convoy amid heavy rain and tight security along the route.
Under heavy guard, she entered her new detention facility at the VMMC at 4:10 p.m.
Arroyo was wheeled into VMMC’s presidential suite surrounded by a phalanx of policemen.
Clad in white, the Pampanga lawmaker was accompanied by her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and their children.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Arroyo walked a few steps from her vehicle to a wheelchair. She then passed through a metal detector leading to the presidential suite.
Arroyo was followed by what appeared to be her medical team. She was welcomed by officials that included Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.
It took about 30 minutes for the convoy to negotiate the traffic along the roads leading to the VMMC from SLMC.
The Arroyo camp had insisted on traveling by land, pointing out the perils of flying in a helicopter in inclement weather and almost zero visibility.
The departure from SLMC was delayed by about seven hours, since they were reportedly supposed to leave at 8 a.m.
There was an apparent misunderstanding between officials and the Arroyo camp as to how the former president should be transferred – whether she was going to ride a helicopter or travel in a convoy.
Earlier in the day, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said the security team preferred to airlift Arroyo because of security considerations.
Robredo, however, said the police finally scrapped plans to airlift Arroyo due to bad weather.
In a radio interview, Robredo said Arroyo’s transfer to VMMC would push through within the day but admitted the possibility of using a helicopter was slim.
Arroyo’s spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn said in a morning press conference at SLMC that the Arroyo couple had decided against riding a helicopter provided by the police.
Arroyo’s counsel earlier said the former president is afraid of flying in bad weather.
Arroyo was reportedly all set to leave St. Luke’s as early as 7 a.m. though the schedule of the transfer was at 8 a.m.
As of 2:30 p.m., or over six hours after the supposed departure, no decision had been made and Arroyo remained at the private hospital.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), the agency directed by the Pasay City court to handle the transfer, maintained Arroyo should be taken to VMMC by air ambulance to prevent any untoward incident or traffic jams along the route.
Police officials, however, admitted that from their viewpoint, it was indeed risky to fly in a helicopter, considering the poor visibility as seen from the former leader’s room on the 16th floor of SLMC.
Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) said Arroyo’s camp had been insisting they did not want to travel by air in bad weather.
“Early morning, as soon as we arrived at St. Luke’s, the FPGMA (Arroyo) camp agreed and was ready for air transport and were waiting for the chopper to arrive,” Laurel reported to Robredo.
When the rains and fog crept in after about 30 minutes, Laurel said the Arroyos manifested that they would not go for air travel anymore.
“They (Arroyo camp) wanted land transfer. (A) neurologist also advised against air travel because on our level at the 16th floor, we have no visibility,” Laurel said.
‘Success’
PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the delay in the transfer was to ensure Arroyo’s safety and comfort.
Bartolome described Arroyo’s transfer to the VMMC as “successful.”
“It took about 42 minutes, there was smooth movement. We considered her safety, mobility and comfort,” Bartolome said.
“We have the whole day, we are not in a hurry. We considered the condition of the former president and the weather condition which resulted in heavy traffic.”
Bartolome revealed they considered dropping the option of airlifting Arroyo because of the deteriorating weather condition.
“After consulting all those concerned, (we decided) not to proceed with the air transport and from there we started to plan for land transport,” he said.
Bartolome said they planned a decoy convoy that was meant to determine the traffic situation and the travel time going to the VMMC.
The decoy convoy took off from SLMC, triggering a chase by supporters and several journalists who thought it was the real thing.
Just before 11 a.m. yesterday, when a convoy that included an ambulance passed by the main gate of VMMC on North Avenue, Arroyo’s supporters cheered, thinking it was already her.
They raised their placards and streamers to express support as the convoy of 10 vehicles, including a black sport utility vehicle and police patrol cars, passed by.
Bartolome denied the assertion of Arroyo’s spokesperson that the PNP was insisting on airlifting the former president.
He said Horn was apparently uninformed of the agreement between Arroyo’s camp and the PNP.
Liar
The miscommunication and misunderstanding was also apparent when Robredo chided Horn.
Robredo said Horn lied when she claimed that they were not informed about the plan of airlifting the former president from SLMC to VMMC.
“Horn lied again,” Robredo remarked on Horn’s pronouncement that they did not know about the air ambulance and that all along the preparation was only by land.
Robredo maintained the Arroyo camp was kept informed of all the plans.
Robredo justified the use of the air ambulance for Arroyo, saying it would be more convenient and manageable than land travel, where the convoy could be caught in a traffic jam.
“For security considerations, airlift (operations) would be easier to manage since traffic along EDSA is unpredictable. If one or two vehicles would be stalled along the route, it would be difficult for us,” Robredo explained.
Robredo was stressing the security risks involved when traveling in a convoy.
Arroyo’s husband Jose Miguel scored the authorities for complicating and nearly endangering the life of the former president in what should have been a simple and easy move of transferring her from one hospital to another.
He said the option to ferry Arroyo in a police helicopter became “a non-issue” since early yesterday due to the bad weather as airlines decided to cancel numerous domestic flights.
Mr. Arroyo said the PNP even admitted early on that using the helicopter was not viable due to poor visibility and it also contradicted a previous agreement that the former leader would travel by land.
Mr. Arroyo said they waited for 10 hours for the transfer.
Arroyo’s spokesperson Horn told reporters that after several meetings with administration officials, it was agreed that she would travel by land.
Horn said she was surprised after hearing the news from officials that Arroyo would be ferried in a helicopter.
Horn said they were expecting to leave SLMC by 6 a.m. to avoid the heavy traffic. In preparation, Arroyo was awake and packed since 5 a.m.
“This (delay) is causing her stress,” added Arroyo’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.
P100,000 rent
Robredo pointed out the PNP and other concerned parties carefully discussed and planned the situation.
“When we discussed it yesterday (Thursday), we decided to prepare both modes, by land and by air, but if we simply consider security and convenience, mas okay by air.”
According to Robredo, the government rented the air ambulance at P100,000 to ensure the smooth transfer of Arroyo from SLMC to VMMC, which will serve as her detention while electoral sabotage charges against her were being heard by the court.
“We looked for an air ambulance so that she’ll not have difficulty,” said Robredo.
He said the rented air ambulance can accommodate a stretcher, medical equipment and contraptions.
The pilot of the helicopter, Capt. Harry Lero, said he was ready to leave “anytime,” but declined to answer if the weather was safe for flying.
Robredo, on the other hand, said he had information that Arroyo is in good condition and there would be no need for any other special setup during the transfer.
Robredo also clarified the government is not giving special treatment to Arroyo but merely following the court order that the PNP should accord her the necessary respect due a former president.
Arroyo was ordered arrested by the Pasay City court on Nov. 18 on charges of electoral sabotage, a non-bailable offense.
The court allowed hospital arrest and ordered the transfer of the Pampanga lawmaker from SLMC to the VMMC in Quezon City on Dec. 6.
The court, however, allowed the extension of stay at SLMC until yesterday following the motion filed by Arroyo’s camp.
Arroyo’s camp wanted renovations inside the presidential suite, particularly the removal of the bathtub, which supposedly posed difficulty for her bathing due to her bone ailment.
Her camp is still pushing for Arroyo to be detained at home.
The court, however, disallowed Arroyo from using cellphones and computers while in detention at the VMMC.
VMMC director Dr. Nona Legaspi said the hospital would not issue any medical bulletin without a court order.
She said the media should seek permission of the court in inquiring about the state of health of the former president.
Policemen at VMMC implemented the order by the book, sources revealed.
Even her things had to be inspected, according to a police source.
“Everything that goes in will be inspected and checked,” the source said.
The source said Arroyo’s camp even submitted a list of prospective guests that she would welcome once she was inside the presidential suite.
But this was still subject to approval by the Police Security Protection Group (PSPG).
Once approved by the PSPG, these guests would have their access pass to get into the presidential suite.
The source said the names of these people would be listed, including their vehicles and plate numbers.
Other than these people, any visitor would be turned away unless the former president gives her approval, the source said. – With Reinir Padua, Aie Balagtas See, Helen Flores, Paolo Romero, Non Alquitran