Manila: Former Philippines president Gloria Arroyo remained in hospital due to fluctuating blood pressure, prompting her to postpone her trip to Singapore even after the justice secretary receiving a copy of the Supreme Court's ruling allowing her to leave for medical treatment.
"She has decided not to go. Her blood pressure has been fluctuating. She is now resting at St Luke's Hospital in suburban Taguig," said spokesperson Raul Lambino, adding the former president stayed Tuesday night at the hospital after immigration officials prevented her from leaving for Hong Kong to take a connecting flight to Singapore.
"The Arroyos might try to leave on Thursday morning. She has not yet cancelled her appointment with a specialist on hypoparathyroidism in Singapore on Thursday [today]," said Lambino.
The Arroyos will leave for Spain, where the former president has an appointment with a bone marrow disorder specialist. She also has a scheduled meeting in Germany on November 27, spokesperson Elena Bautista Horn said.
"They are hopeful of returning and spending Christmas in the Philippines as soon as the treatment is completed. We are praying that the diagnosis of her case will not turn complicated," said Horn, adding the House of Representatives has allowed Arroyo to stay abroad until December 5.
At the same time, the Arroyos asked their lawyers to file indirect contempt charges against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who defied the Supreme Court ruling by issuing a directive to immigration officials and airport managers not to allow Arroyo and her entourage to leave the country on Tuesday night.
Immigration Director Eric Dimaculangan could not show Justice Secretary de Lima's written directive asking the Department of Transportation and Communications to order airport officials to prevent the Arroyos from leaving, explained lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.
Recalling how he reprimanded an immigration official for trying to confiscate the travel documents of the Arroyos, Topacio said, "I told them the passport is the property of the owner, you can't deprive them [the Arroyos] of travelling."
"The incident at the airport on Tuesday was a harrowing experience... Never have I seen an arrogant display of executive power," said Topacio. Justice Secretary de Lima received from the Supreme Court a copy of the TRO on Wednesday morning, said Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez, adding, "I'm calling executive officials, especially those who have received copies of the TRO, to implement the order."
