We noticed that every time the Arroyos are summoned to appear in congressional hearings, they suddenly become sick. The same thing happened to Norberto Gonzalez and Jocelyn Bolante in the past.
We know that sickness has always been the excuse they give in order to avoid the embarrassment of facing their accusers or being bombarded with questions meant to ferret out the truth. They just issue denials through their lawyers and wait until the issues shall have died down. “Deny and delay” has always been their effective “shield” against all the accusations directed at them.
Former President Gloria Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, who is facing allegations of selling used helicopters to the Philippine National Police as brand-new, even left the country for Hong Kong purportedly to have a medical check-up even as the country’s best doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital have all his medical records and are capable enough of monitoring his health.
The Arroyos allegedly masterminded and orchestrated a massive electoral fraud to assure the wife’s victory in the 2004 presidential election. They are charged as well with plunder allegedly committed during the six years that followed.
Why can’t we do what the Egyptians did to their former president, Hosni Mubarak? He was airlifted from the hospital to face trial before the court, lying on a stretcher in an iron cage together with his sons. Egyptian political analyst Abdullah Homouda said that it had to be done to show to the Egyptians and to the world that no one is above the law.
Why, are the Arroyos any different from the Mubaraks?
I say, haul them to the courts in stretchers or wheelchairs, if necessary. Airlift them in helicopters the husband allegedly owns, or ferry them in ambulances, and let these vehicles use “wangwangs” to ensure their safe arrival in court. But bring them to court and make them face the charges before the courts of law. They are not above the law.
—RAMON MAYUGA, germayuga@aol.com