MANILA, (Reuters) – Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was arrested yesterday for electoral fraud, which carries a life sentence, at a Manila hospital, preventing her departure from the country to seek medical treatment.
President Benigno Aquino and his government have long accused Arroyo of corruption during her two terms in office, from 2001-2010, though until yesterday, authorities had not formally charged her.
“She is now under our control, under our custody,” Senior Superintendent Franklin Bucayu, head of the Southern Police District, told a news briefing outside St Luke’s Hospital.
“The arrest warrant has been served. We tried to read her rights but her lawyers waived it because of her conditions. She smiled at us and she was expecting it.”
The arrest warrant had been issued earlier in the day, just after the government lost a bid to reverse a Supreme Court ruling allowing Arroyo to travel abroad.
Arroyo denies any wrongdoing.
