MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Estrada made light of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s refusal to be airlifted from St. Luke’s in Taguig to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMCC) in Quezon City, saying she might be afraid to use the second-hand helicopters sold by her husband to the Philippine National Police (PNP) as brand new.
“Siguro baka natatakot siya sa chopper dahil baka yung second-hand na chopper na pinagbili sa PNP. Itanong mo kay Secretary Robredo, baka yung second-hand chopper [ang gagamitin],” Estrada told ANC’s Dateline Philippines on Friday.
Last September, the PNP filed corruption complaints before the Ombudsman against former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and several others involved in the sale in 2009 of second-hand choppers to the PNP. Mr. Arroyo was accused of plunder because “evidence points to him as the real owner of the choppers, which were passed off as brand new.”
Estrada also said Mrs. Arroyo cannot make demands on how she should be transported to the VMMC.
He said Mrs. Arroyo is now under the jurisdiction of the court after she was charged with electoral sabotage by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). He said that during his own arrest for plunder charges, he was transported by van, chopper and even a tank to different places.
“She [Arroyo] is under the jurisdiction of the court, they have no choice but to follow what the PNP [Philippine National Police] says. Like me, there were 3,000 police who came to arrest me. They put me in a van and then PNP chief Leandro Mendoza was there. They even put me in a tank to bring me to Sta Rosa [in Laguna]. Siksikan kami ni Jinggoy [Estrada] tsaka ni Dra. Loi (Ejercito) sa tangke. Ang init init. Tapos nagbago isip, bumalik ulit sa Veterans. Sinakay kami sa chopper,” he said.
“Wala kaming magawa, dapat sumunod kami sa order ng PNP. Dapat ganun din PNP ngayon. Walang exception to the rule,” he added.
Estrada said allowing Mrs. Arroyo to dictate to the PNP on how she should be brought to VMMC could be seen as a form of special treatment.
He said: “There is no way that the accused can demand anything.”
Arroyo’s spokeswoman Elena Bautista Horn earlier said Mrs. Arroyo and her husband, Mike, refused to be airlifted to VMMC due to heavy rains. She said Mrs. Arroyo should travel by land, and even said the former president is willing to take a taxi to VMMC.
Transfer before dawn
Estrada also quipped that instead of timing Arroyo’s transfer during rush hour, the PNP should have brought the former president to VMMC before dawn.
“If I may suggest, para walang hassle at walang traffic, I remember she took her oath at 3:30 a.m. at Batasan. Dapat yung transfer sa Veterans 3:30 a.m. Walang traffic, tulog lahat ng tao. Tulad ng pagsumpa niya nun, tulog lahat ng tao,” he said.
He also suggested the police make an exception and use “wang wangs” or blaring sirens while transporting Mrs. Arroyo to the hospital.
“Hindi naman malayo. Kapag may police escort, hindi mahihirapan. Pwede magwang-wang diyan. There is an exception naman sa wang wang e,” he said.
Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest due to pending electoral sabotage charges filed against her before the Pasay Regional Trial court (RTC).
Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay RTC branch 11 earlier ordered Mrs. Arroyo’s transfer from St. Luke’s to VMMC, saying the government must have custody of the former president.
The government has prepared the presidential suite at the VMMC for Mrs. Arroyo. It is the same room used by former President Joseph Estrada after he was arrested on plunder charges in 2001.
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