Arrest warrant issued against Philippine ex-president

Nov 18, 2011, 8:11 GMT

Manila - A Philippine court on Friday issued an arrest warrant against former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on charges of electoral fraud, which could see her imprisoned for life.

Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay Regional Trial Court in Manila ordered Arroyo's arrest just hours after the Commission on Elections filed the criminal charges against her, and hours before she and her husband had planned to fly to Singapore to seek medical treatment.

The case of electoral sabotage, which is non-bailable and punishable by life imprisonment, alleges that Arroyo and her allies manipulated the results of congressional elections in 2007 to favour candidates from her administration.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima hailed the issuance of the arrest warrant as a 'real triumph of justice.'

'Mrs. Arroyo is compelled to stay in the country and face the charges of electoral sabotage filed against her, bringing us closer to uncovering the truth behind the controversies surrounding the 2007 elections,' she said.

'It is our desire that truth and accountability prevail and that the Filipino people be given the justice they truly deserve,' she added.

De Lima said the warrant was expected to be served against Arroyo at a hospital in Manila where she is confined.

'We will treat the former president with utmost respect,' she said. 'The police are not going to handcuff her or take her out of the hospital.'

Arroyo, now a member of Congress, has been under investigation since August for suspected fraud and corruption during her time in office from 2001 to 2010.

The formal charges came after Arroyo 'did not rebut any of the accusations against her,' said Sixto Brillantes, chairman of the Commission on Elections.

Arroyo's camp denounced the charges, with one of her lawyers describing the charges as 'a high form of injustice.'

Prior to the warrant, Arroyo and her husband were booked on a flight for Singapore leaving later Friday. Airport authorities said the couple had checked in online, but later cancelled their flight.

The 64-year-old former president and her husband had tried to leave for Singapore on Tuesday, but were prevented by immigration officers despite a Supreme Court order allowing them to travel.

Earlier Friday, the Supreme Court upheld its order and directed de Lima to stop blocking Arroyo and her husband from going abroad and explain why she should not be cited for contempt.

Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez said the former president 'is now barred from traveling because of the arrest warrant.'