By Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - No one believes the claims of the camp of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of a supposed plot to kill her, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.He said the Arroyo camp was like the boy who cried wolf and could only blame itself because of the pattern of lying that has characterized its strategy in evading detention for Arroyo in a regular jail.
Lacson does not believe the claims of Arroyo’s spokesperson, Elena Bautista-Horn, about a plot to kill the former president, dubbed “Put the Little Girl to Sleep.”
“When you keep on lying, the time will come when even when you are telling the truth, just like Horn claims about the death threat, no one will believe you,” he said in Filipino.
Lacson said the first lie came when they claimed that Arroyo was very sick but she tried to get out of the country hastily when the Supreme Court stopped the watchlist order of the Department of Justice.
Then came the testimony of one of Arroyo’s doctors about her recovery and that she would be considered an outpatient already, he added.
Lacson said the most unbelievable claim was the plot to kill Arroyo, particularly the choice of the codename “Put the little girl to sleep.”
“Even the choice of a codename is ridiculous,” he said.
“This is the first time I have heard of such a codename. This is something that should not be taken seriously. Everyone knows that this is just a product of the imagination.”
Lacson said that the Arroyos should be thankful about being confined at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center if indeed there is a threat against her, considering that it is a secure government facility.
The military hospital would definitely provide more
security for the former president than her own home, he added.
Lacson said that he felt pity for Arroyo because of the lack of sympathy for her.
“The support for what judge (Jesus) Mupas is doing is overwhelming and so is the support for what Malacañang is doing,” he said. “It’s lopsided. So I really feel bad for the standing of the former president. Nobody sympathizes with her.
“You will see here the true sentiment of the people and who appears to be deceiver or the target of the deception.”
Lacson said the issue of who should cover the expenses of the Arroyo’s detention at the VMMC must be settled right away.
The detention of former President Joseph Estrada
was shouldered by the Philippine National Police (PNP) because they were the ones in charge of his security, he added.
It cost the PNP millions of pesos based on his sources, he added.
Arroyo mole
At Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said yesterday it would look into reports that
Arroyo’s camp has a mole within the administration.
“Well, the President (Aquino) has always been strict about confidentiality… we will have to discuss that particular report with the President and see what steps will be taken if there are any,” she said.
Valte said Arroyo’s lawyers could go to the International Court of Justice since “that is a remedy that they feel is available to them.”
“And we will not comment any further,” she said.
“They also have pending cases with the Supreme Court and in the RTC (regional trial court).”
Valte said security for Arroyo would be strict and that there was really no reason for the Arroyo camp to insist that the government investigate the “Put the Little Girl to Sleep” plot to kill her since the allegations were lacking in substance.
“It’s not an abdication of our duty, and by the way the word ‘abdicate’ is usually used in reference to kings relinquishing power,” she said.
“We have not lessened the security of the former president. At the VMMC (Veterans Memorial Medical Center), you can see that the director general of the PNP (Philippine National Police) went there to make sure that the security is intact. We are not abdicating anything.”
Valte said it would be up to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to look into the possibility of a third force harming Arroyo to put the administration in trouble.
PNP concern
The PNP is concerned about Arroyo’s safe transfer from St. Luke’s Medical Center to VMMC, taking her in custody and providing security services.
PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome organized Task Force FPGMA to ensure all the three concerns are addressed.
The task force is comprised of different police units in close coordination with other government agencies.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the task calls for the safe and secure transfer of Arroyo from St. Luke’s to Veterans, and
to continue to provide security services to her at VMMC.
“The Southern Police District will take charge of the transfer from St. Luke’s up to their area of responsibility along EDSA or C-5, whichever route they may take,” he said.
“And from there the Eastern Police District will secure the area and the routes to be taken by the former president in their area of responsibility and turn it over to Quezon City Police District.”
Cruz said from the boundary of Quezon City up to the VMMC, the Quezon City police will take custody of Arroyo and secure her person, and road security and additional security personnel will be deployed.
“Surveys and inspection will be conducted and additional security measures such as K-9, the walkthrough security panel,” he said.
Sufficient layers of security, including policewomen at the hospital, will be maintained, he added.
Cruz said visiting hours will be allowed as provided by law and hospital rules on the matter, but initially the visitation hours are set from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. “Coordinating conferences will continue to be conducted by the tasked units specifically the Police Security Protection Group,” he said. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Aurea Calica
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=754429&publicationSubCategoryId=63
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