Palace respects court order allowing CGMA Arroyo to attend grandson’s wake, burial

MANILA, Philippines — The Palace said Tuesday it respects the Sandiganbayan’s decision to grant former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s petition to attend the wake and burial of her grandson. 

“We respect the Sandiganbayan’s order to allow former President Arroyo to attend her grandson’s wake and burial and for her to share in her family’s bereavement,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a statement Tuesday. 

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division permitted Arroyo to leave her detention room at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center to attend her grandson’s wake from November 4 to 9 at 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and burial on November 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jorge Alonzo “Jugo” Arroyo Bernas, the youngest son of Arroyo’s daughter, Luli Arroyo-Bernas and husband, Luigi, died Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at the Philippine Heart Center due to a congenital heart problem. Jugo Bernas was only 13 months old and was the youngest among Arroyo’s grandchildren.

The wake is at the house of the Bernases in Forbes Park, Makati City.

Arroyo, a Representative of Pampanga, has been under hospital arrest at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center since 2012. She is facing charges for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently divert P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds “for personal gain” from 2008 to 2010. (PND)