Supreme Court frees Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE 3 4:01 p.m.) — The Supreme Court has dismissed a plunder case against Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over her alleged misuse of the intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

SC spokesperson Theodore Te announced at a televised press conference that the high court dismissed the case against Arroyo for lack of evidence. The court also ordered the immediate release of Arroyo, who is currently under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

Four SC justices voted against the dismissal of Arroyo's case - Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Justice Antonio Carpio, Justice Marvic Leonen and Justice Alfredo Caguioa.

"The Chief Justice and Justice Leonen submitted separate dissenting opinions. Justice (Arturo) Brion submitted a separate concurring opinion. Justice (Estela) Perlas-Bernabe submitted a separate concurring and dissenting opinion," Te said.

Arroyo lawyer Raul Lambino also told ANC in a phone interview that papers for Arroyo's release are already being processed.

She has been under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center since 2012.

"Thank God. We're very happy," her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo said. "They took away six years of her life. An innocent woman."

The plunder case stems from charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for Arroyo's alleged diversion of P366 million in the PCSO's intelligence funds for personal gain between 2008 and 2010.

The Senate blue ribbon committee also investigated the alleged fund diversion in 2011. — with Jonathan de Santos; Initial reports by Edu Punay and Paolo Romero; Graphic designed by Jonathan Asuncion