Philippines - Philippines' Aquino to allow Arroyo hospital stay

Philippines President Benigno Aquino will not object to his predecessor Gloria Arroyo, arrested at a Manila hospital, remaining there rather than going to jail, according to his spokesman.

Aquino missed an East Asia Summit gala dinner on the Indonesian island of Bali on Friday evening because he was constantly on the phone to officials in Manila as the events unfolded, spokesman Ramon Carandang said.

Arroyo, 64, was detained at her hospital bed Friday on charges of conspiring with a feared warlord to rig a senatorial election in 2007, capping a tumultuous week that saw the government block her from leaving the country.

She arrived at Manila airport Tuesday wearing a neck brace and saying she needed to leave the country for medical treatment abroad for a rare bone disease, but the government instructed immigration officials to block her.

Her arrest was the culmination of a long campaign by Aquino to hold his predecessor, who defeated repeated parliamentary impeachment attempts and coup attempts while in office, to account for alleged graft.

Carandang said Aquino had instructed officials that Arroyo should be treated with respect, adding that Arroyo's lawyers were expected to seek a court ruling that she should be allowed to remain in hospital, rather than be moved to jail.

"If they do that, we will not object," he said.

Aquino had not missed any meetings at the summit other than the dinner, he added.

"We were just making sure that everything was being done properly and he was coordinating with everybody," he said.

"There have been stories of people trying to make trouble... basically sowing some confusion and trying to undermine political support for the president."

Bangkok Post

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