No problem with Palace if George Clooney's fiancée helps GMA

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang sees nothing wrong with the intent of George Clooney's lawyer fiancée to help former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who remains under hospital arrest.

Presidential Communication Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government respects the right of Arroyo, now a Pampanga lawmaker, to avail herself of a legal counsel.

"Ginagalang natin ang karapatan ni dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo na kumuha ng mga manananggol na may kakayahan at ginagalang din natin ang karapatan ng kanyang manananggol na gawin ang nararapat hinggil sa kanyang usapin," Coloma said in a televised press briefing.

According to STAR columnist Carmen Pedrosa, international human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin has expressed intention of bringing Arroyo's case before the United Nations.

Pedrosa, who is a friend of Alamuddin and her mother, said the Lebanese-born British barrister recently visited Manila and was informed of Arroyo's situation.

"That is what I do, she says, even political enemies have rights when I told her about Arroyo’s case and if that can be brought before the UN Court, she said yes, of course if there is reason," Pedrosa said in her column.

Read: Hollywood meets human rights; Amal takes up FPGMA’s case

Pedrosa said by the time Alamuddin was on her way to London, she committed to help Arroyo by advising her on her rights under international law.

"This was not about power politics but about human rights and every individual was entitled to it," Pedrosa quoted Alamuddin as saying.

Arroyo remains under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City for non-bailable charges of plunder.

The STAR reported that Arroyo's lawyers have filed several petitions for bail before the Sandiganbayan citing the weak evidence against the former leader and her health condition.

Pedrosa said Alamuddin handled high-profile international cases including that of Cambodia against Thailand fighting over the Temple of Preah Vihear straddling the border of the two countries.

Alamuddin also represented Cambodia in inter-state territorial claim before the International Court of Justice, The Hague.

Clooney's fiancée had also represented Abdallah Al Senussi, former Libyan intelligence chief; Yulia Tymoshenko, former Ukrainian prime minister and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in a human rights claim before the European Court of Human Rights in Sweden.