GMA's brother dies of prostate cancer

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Arturo Macapagal, an Olympian pistol shooter and brother of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, died yesterday of prostate cancer. He was 72.

Arroyo failed to see her brother alive; her furlough granted by the Sandiganbayan was from 4 to 8 p.m. yesterday.

Today and Friday, she will be given the same furlough.

The anti-graft court has yet to decide on Arroyo’s request to be allowed to attend the burial on Saturday pending submission of the schedule and other details. 

“After deliberating on the matter, and considering the urgency of the matter, the Court resolved to partially grant the motion, and allow the accused to attend the wake today, tomorrow and Friday, Aug. 11, 12 and 14, 2015 only from 4 to 8 p.m.,” read the First Division ruling.

Arroyo was supposed to visit her brother at the Makati Medical Center   yesterday afternoon where he had been in critical condition because of stage four prostate cancer.

Arroyo’s lawyers filed an urgent motion to modify the request after her brother died yesterday morning.

“The Court shall issue another resolution as regards the accused’s prayer for authority to attend the burial after she shall have informed the Court of the details thereof,” the Sandiganbayan said in granting her motion.

The anti-graft court imposed the usual conditions in granting Arroyo’s motion, including her shouldering all expenses to be incurred by the Philippine National Police and the court’s sheriffs and not granting media interviews.

The nation lost an outstanding Olympian and a respected business leader with the passing of Arturo Macapagal, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement from Malacañang,

“Mr. Macapagal represented the country in the 1972 (Munich) and 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games and held the national record in Olympic free pistol shooting for more than 21 years,” he said.

“He is a recognized leader in the automotive industry and is a staunch supporter of various socio-civic organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Scholarship Foundation for the Filipino Youth, where he served as chairman,” he said.

Among the first to go to the wake at Heritage Park in Taguig and condole with Arroyo was Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Macapagal was a “personal friend” of the Vice President, according to Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs.

Salgado could not provide details regarding  the meeting of Binay and Arroyo.

Earlier, Binay said he was open to entering into a coalition with Lakas-CMD, Arroyo’s political party, for the 2016 polls.

– Helen Flores, Michael Punongbayan, Aurea Calica