The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will not be allowing former president and Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to leave the country, in keeping with the watchlist order imposed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), reports the Inquirer.

“As of now, the existing order in our data base is the watchlist order,” said BI spokesperson Antoinette Mangrobang. “In the absence of a contrary order, that will remain. In that case we are constrained from allowing them to leave. They still cannot leave.”

The Supreme Court earlier issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the DOJ's watchlist order. Despite this, airport officials blocked Arroyo and her husband from taking a flight out to Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“The immigration officer is not authorized to accept a court order at the airport,” Mangrobang said, referring to the copy of the TRO carried by Arroyo's lawyers when she arrived at the airport. “There is a process for this. The commissioner must issue a directive to the immigration officer, and this must be encoded into our data base before the immigration officer can act on the case.”

“It’s not that the BI wants to defy the Supreme Court, but there is a procedure. All lawyers know this,” she added.

The magistrates of the high court are going to gather in a special en banc session before noon today to tackle Arroyo's right to travel. Executive officials are also set to file criminal cases against Arroyo in court.

Arroyo, who seeks treatment for a rare bone disorde abroad, has reportedly been booked for a flight to Singapore later this afternoon. The former president is facing charges for plunder and electoral fraud.

Similar case

Meanwhile, lawyer Nena Santos, counsel of the kin of the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre, has cited the case of her client, former North Cotabato election supervisor Yogie Martirizar, who has also been prevented from travelling abroad for medical treatment due to being put on the travel watchlist.

According to Sun Star Manila, Martirizar's request to travel abroad to seek treatment for a similar bone condition to Arroyo was rejected because she was under preliminary investigation for electoral irregularities during the 2007 polls.

"Even if the case was still in the preliminary investigation stage, they denied the request of my client. It is unfair, Gloria trampled on her rights then, and now Gloria is allowed to leave the country," said Santos, referring to the high court's issuance of the TRO.

“Bakit sa kanya (Arroyo) granted agad ang temporary restraining order pero sa kliyente ko since 2007 pa hindi makaalis?” she asked.