THE government may opt to tap the help of a “credible” third party in determining whether former President Gloria Arroyo requires medical treatment abroad, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a radio interview that in resolving the matter, it would be difficult to rely on the opinion of the concerned parties—Arroyo’s camp and the government—as both would be “subject to suspicion.”
“So we really need a third party credible medical opinion to say one way or the other. So that will have to be submitted to the DOJ [Department of Justice],” Lacierda said.
He said that before addressing questions on whether Arroyo must seek medical treatment in a country with an extradition treaty with the Philippines, the first question that has to be answered is whether it would be better for Arroyo to seek medical attention abroad.
“That’s the reason why we are going to wait for the medical abstract and from there, we will defer to Secretary de Lima,” Lacierda said.
Earlier, the House of Representatives has extended the travel authority issued to former President Gloria Arroyo, now a representative of the Second District of Pampanga, that will allow her to travel to five countries for treatment of a rare case of hypoparathyroidism.
The amended travel authority is suppose to take effect from October 22 to December 5, allowing Arroyo to seek medical treatment to the United States, Germany, Singapore, Spain and Italy. It has been endorsed to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Arroyo will be accompanied by her husband Jose Miguel, her aide-de-camp Lt. Jane Glova and private nurse Maria Sahara Casuga.
Former Presidential Management Staff chief Elena Bautista-Horn, Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesman, said that the former President could not immediately leave as she is still awaiting the go ahead of the Department of Justice that earlier placed her on the Bureau of Immigration’s watch list on the basis of the plunder charges filed against her.
Earlier, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. issued a travel authority allowing Mrs. Arroyo to go to the United States, Germany and Switzerland to attend two meetings and “for medical consultation.” The duration of the foreign trips was from September 18 to October 11, that have lapsed.
In another development, Mrs. Arroyo’s legal spokesman Raul Lambino said that the DOJ could not compel the former President to appear before the preliminary hearing on the election-sabotage charges against her.
Lambino said that sending a subpoena was just a normal procedure but it is not mandatory for Mrs. Arroyo to appear before the hearing. He added that Mrs. Arroyo would not be cited in contempt if she chooses not to attend the hearing.
Arroyo’s office received the subpoena from the Department of Justice at exactly 1:14 p.m. on Tuesday.
The two subpoena—one for the DOJ-Commission on Elections (Comelec) Case 002-2011 for electoral sabotage filed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and another for DOJ-Comelec Case 001-2011 for electoral sabotage and violation of the Omnibus Election Code—direct Arroyo to appear before the DOJ-Comelec preliminary investigation committee members on November 3, at 2 p.m., at the DOJ Multi Purpose Hall.
