Court allows GMA to visit Iggy's wake on March 1

MANILA, Philippines - Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jesus Mupas issued an order yesterday allowing Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to attend the wake of the late Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 1, at the Arroyo family’s ancestral home in La Vista subdivision, Quezon City.

Felda Domingo, spokesperson for RTC branch 112, said Mupas issued the order after a conference yesterday morning with prosecutors and defense counsel of the former president.

The order of Mupas said that Arroyo would leave the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City at 8 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. the same day.

Judge Mupas re-implemented the previous order issued, which allowed the former president an eight-hour visit, but the arrival of Iggy’s remains was delayed.

He said if the remains would still not arrive by then, the defense lawyers were ordered to file a manifestation two days before the scheduled visit to give police security personnel more time to prepare.

The 61-year-old Iggy died last Jan. 26 in London due to heart attack. He had been in London since October to seek treatment for cirrhosis of the liver.

Arroyo’s lawyer Jose Santos is still not certain of the actual date of arrival of Iggy’s remains but they welcomed the tentative schedule issued by the court.

Santos had earlier asked the court for a three-day furlough from March 1 to 3 for Arroyo to attend the wake of her brother-in-law but he welcomed the order nevertheless, saying that the court is just consistent with its previous decision.

Prosecutors of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) led by Esmeralda Ladra opposed the motion and insisted to limit to only three hours the visit of Arroyo to the wake at the House of Representatives in Quezon City where Iggy’s remains would also be brought.

Ladra argued that the visit at the House is more appropriate since both Arroyo and Iggy are members of Congress.

She said that Arroyo should also shoulder all the expenses of the police personnel who would provide security.

Prosecutors also opposed the visit to the La Vista wake because homeowners in the area might protest the presence of the former president as they might be affected by the strict security measures to be implemented during the visit.

Visit a family affair

Santos said the visit of the former president to the wake of her brother-in-law is purely a family affair and not a political issue.

He was reacting to the motion of the prosecutors that the visit should be allowed only in Congress, of which both are members.

“The visit to the wake is a family affair and no politics is involved,” he said.

Santos said that the three-hour period that the Comelec wanted is too short for a family member to attend the wake.

The defense lawyers said security at the La Vista wake is not an issue because the subdivision’s security personnel could handle the arrival of visitors in the area.

The La Vista residence is where the late congressman and brother of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo lived and grew up.

Iggy’s remains are expected to arrive from London on Wednesday night (Feb. 29) and will be brought for a service at the House of Representatives on Monday morning.

The former first gentleman said that his younger brother’s wake will be held from March 1 to 3 at the Arroyo ancestral house at 14 Badjao street, La Vista, Quezon City.

The body will be taken to neighboring 17 Badjao Street — Iggy’s former conjugal house with his estranged wife Alicia Rita “Aleli” at 12 noon, where it will lie until the next morning.

Necrological services will be held at the House of Representatives plenary hall on Monday (March 5) before it will be flown to Bacolod City. Wake will be held at the family house in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental from March 5 to 8. 

He said burial will be held on March 9, a Friday, at the family mausoleum in the North Cemetery in Manila. 

Aleli and Iggy’s long-time companion Grace Ibuna agreed before Judge Eleuterio Bathan of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, to adopt the funeral arrangements for the late lawmaker.

Aleli said the court agreement is a clear legal victory for her as it emphasized that decisions for the wake and burial of Ignacio belong to the legal wife, the children and siblings of the opposition lawmaker.

Under the agreement, Aleli, daughter by first marriage, Dina Arroyo-Tantoco and sister Marilou Arroyo will supervise the funeral arrangements.

“As much as possible I want to give him a decent and respectable wake and burial..  I want him to be free from sin,” Aleli said.

However, it was not immediately known whether the agreement would allow Grace to be at the wake.

Meanwhile, Aleli would accept the Philippine flag from the House of Representatives during the necrological service for the late congressman.

Aleli said she would bring the remains to the House after the wake at their conjugal house in La Vista.

Lorna Kapunan, Aleli’s lawyer, said that being the legal wife Aleli will accept the Philippine flag from Congress.      

 During a hearing yesterday before the Regional Trial Court Branch 92, lawyers of the parties in the case filed by Aleli discussed the schedule of funeral arrangements they had agreed upon. – With Reinir Padua