GMA back at La Vista home for New Year

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will welcome the New Year at her home in La Vista, Quezon City with her family after the Supreme Court (SC) again granted her a furlough yesterday.

Arroyo was grateful to the high court for giving her a chance to be home for Christmas and the New Year.

Arroyo’s lawyers said she was happy for the quality time she would be spending with her loved ones.

Earlier, the SC gave the former president a holiday furlough from Dec. 23 to 26 and from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2.

The high court is hearing Arroyo’s appeal after the Sandiganbayan dismissed her petition for bail on the plunder case filed against her.

Pending a ruling on her claims that the anti-graft court erred, the SC has issued a status quo ante order stopping all proceedings until February next year.

Arroyo is detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on plunder charges for her alleged involvement in the misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.