THE Pasay City regional trial court cleared the way for the arraignment of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for electoral sabotage after dismissing the former president’s petition questioning the legality of the criminal suit filed against her.
Judge Jesus Mupas of RTC Branch 112 junked Arroyo’s motion to recall warrant of arrest, ruling that the court finds no compelling reason to reverse its decision to issue an arrest warrant against her.
Mupas set Arroyo’s arraignment on February 20 at 9 a.m.
In her motion, Arroyo questioned the supposed undue haste in the issuance of the arrest order against her on Nov. 18, 2011.
At that time, she was confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
Responding to Arroyo’s allegations, the Pasay judge stood firm on his finding of probable cause in the complaint for electoral sabotage filed by a joint panel of the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections.
Mupas pointed out that the testimony of Norie Unas, the former provincial administrator of Maguindanao, was more than sufficient to establish a prima facie case against Arroyo.
Unas had testified before the DoJ that he was in Malacanang with former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. when he heard Arroyo ordering the former to ensure the win of the administration senatorial candidates in the province in the 2007 mid-term polls.
“Accused Arroyo, being a mastermind, did not need to participate in the execution of the crime, being the President of the Philippines at that time, her mere inducement and her moral ascendancy to her co-conspirators are sufficient overt acts for her indictment as principal by inducement,” the court said in its order.
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