GMA pre-trial on electoral sabotage case set Thursday

Manila, Philippines -  Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jesus Mupas has set on Thursday a pre-trial hearing on the electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was earlier granted a P1-million bail for her temporary liberty.

Felda Domingo, RTC Branch 112 spokesperson, said the court has already drawn up its schedule of hearings on the case.

Last month, Mupas granted Arroyo’s petition for bail for her temporary liberty in relation to alleged electoral fraud in Maguindanao during the May 2007 midterm election.

The court ruled that the prosecution failed to present a strong case in their opposition to the bail petition of the Pampanga congresswoman.

Mupas, however, denied the bail petitions of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer Lintang Bedol because of the testimony of former Maguindanao administrator Norie Unas’ implicating them in the alleged cheating.

The Comelec has presented a total of 10 witnesses including Unas, who testified that he heard Arroyo instructing the former governor to ensure a 12-0 victory for the administration’s Team Unity senatorial candidates in 2007 midterm election.

Domingo clarified that the ruling only applies to the bail petition and merits of the case will be deliberated during the trial to determine the former president’s guilt.

Abalos believes he will be acquitted

Meanwhile, former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos said that he still believes in the justice system in the country and he will get a fair trial in his electoral sabotage cases pending before the Pasay City RTC.

In an interview with ANC, Abalos said the election officers who were charged in the alleged cheatings never implicated him, and in fact he was the one who uncovered it and initiated an investigation against lawyer Yogie Martirizar.

Martirizar, a co-accused in the two counts of electoral sabotage case in North Cotabato, was admitted as state witness against Abalos.

Mupas granted the former Comelec chairman a P1-million bail for his temporary liberty.

Earlier, Abalos was granted P2-million bail for 11 counts of electoral sabotage cases in South Cotabato after government prosecutors failed to present evidence during the bail hearings.

Abalos said that as a lawyer he believes there is no strong case against him and that he will be eventually acquitted.

Palace wants deeper probe on GMA’s health

In a related development, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Makati Medical Center’s statement distancing itself from the findings of Rep. Arroyo’s cardiologist would give the government more reason to conduct an independent investigation into her health condition.

“Number one, there seems to be a divergence of opinion with respect to the personal doctor, physician of Congresswoman Arroyo and the Makati Medical Center. If you recall, Dr. (Roberto) Anastacio mentioned that there is an urgent need (for her) to be treated abroad. But, later on, the Makati Medical Center issued a clarification that that particular opinion is the opinion merely of the doctor and not of Makati Medical Center,” Lacierda said.

“So whether it’s true that her medical condition is that as claimed by Dr. Anastacio, we will of course have to, (as) in the past, do an independent verification of her medical condition,” he said in an ambush interview with reporters at La Salle Greenhills campus in San Juan on the sidelines of the vigil for the rescue of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and two pilots whose light plane crashed at sea off Masbate last Saturday.

Lacierda said they had not yet discussed how the verification would be done because there was still no motion before the Sandiganbayan for her to be allowed to travel.

The anti-graft court issued a hold departure order (HDO) against her in connection with the plunder charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds.

Lacierda said it would be best not to preempt the Ombudsman but as Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad stated, the independent verification was a matter of public interest because PCSO involved public funds.

“We did this, remember, in the past when (Health) Secretary (Enrique) Ona visited former president Arroyo when she complained also of the same or, rather, of a neck condition,” he said. – With Aurea Calica