The Supreme Court has granted Christmas and New Year furloughs to former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pending the resolution of her urgent motion for house arrest.
In a resolution on Tuesday, the high court allowed Arroyo to leave the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she is under hospital arrest, on Dec. 23 to Dec. 26 to celebrate Christmas at her residence in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City.
Arroyo, who is being tried for plunder over the alleged misuse of P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds during her term as president, was also permitted to spend New Year at La Vista from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2.
“Pending the resolution of the urgent motion, the Court grants to the petitioner Christmas and New Year furloughs for the inclusive periods of 8:00 in the morning of December 23, 2015 to 5:00 in the afternoon of December 26, 2015, and of 8:00 in the morning of December 30, 2015 to 5:00 in the afternoon of January 2, 2016, to be spent exclusively at her residence at No. 14 Badjao Street,
La Vista Subdivision, Quezon City,” read the resolution.
Malacañang, for its part, said the government will abide by the high court’s decision.
“We respect the decision of the Supreme Court,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Arroyo’s camp thanked the high court for the six-day furloughs.
“We are grateful to the Supreme Court for granting her the Christmas and New Year furloughs. The former president is very happy that she can be at home with her family during this most special of seasons,” said her lawyer, Laurence Hector Arroyo.
“Hopefully, her health will somehow improve during the few days of furlough,” he added.