The Philippine Online Chronicles

Former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. was reportedly rushed to an unnamed hospital yesterday.

Mandaluyong City Public Information Officer Jimmy Isidro told ABS-CBN News that Abalos, supposedly coming from COMELEC, was hospitalized for reasons yet to be known and is now resting.

Yesterday, the COMELEC voted for the filing of electoral sabotage charges against Abalos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other public officials because of the alleged electoral fraud in 2007.

The COMELEC also filed a case in the Pasay City regional trial court against Arroyo who was later prohibited from leaving the country after being served a warrant of arrest.

The COMELEC Commissioners who voted in favor of the filing of charges were Augusto Lagman, Sixto Brillantes, Elias Yusoph, Rene Sarmiento and Christian Lim. Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Armando Velasco abstained.

Earlier, Abalos urged the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the Department of Justice.

His lawyer Brigido J. Dulay said Abalos is “in grave and imminent jeopardy of being indicted and incarcerated without due process and equal protection of the law even before his petition could be heard.”

Abalos claimed, “Evidently, the committee no longer possesses the cold neutrality of an impartial judge as it is hell-bent on filing non-bailable cases against petitioner Abalos and his co-respondents the soonest and thus, pre-empt the action of this Honorable Supreme Court in the instant case.”

Former COMELEC officials Liliam Radam and Yogie Martirizar implicated Abalos in the supposed electoral fraud that made the 12-0 senatorial sweep of the then Arroyo administration possible in certain parts of Mindanao.

PNoy okays Arroyo hospital stay

Meanwhile presidential spokesman Ramon Carandang said President Benigno Aquino III will not object to Arroyo’s possible hospital arrest.

Carandang said Aquino skipped an East Asia Summit gala dinner in Bali, Indonesia on Friday to monitor the events unfolding in relation to Arroyo’s attempt to leave the country and the DOJ’s rush to serve a warrant of arrest.

He said Aquino was on the Phone with Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Press Secretary Edwin Lacierda and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad as the situation unfolded.

Police served the arrest warrant at the St. Luke’s Medical Center where Arroyo is still confined because of her bone disease.

Police guards were designated around the hospital in the meantime.

Authorities are supposed to get Arroyo’s fingerprints and mugshot today.

On the other hand, Arroyo’s lawyer and legal spokesperson Raul Lambino said they will study what possible actions they could take. He is also questioning the local court’s jurisdiction over the electoral sabotage case since Arroyo is now serving as a representative of Pampanga, adding that the complaint should have been lodged at the Sandiganbayan.

Because of the controversial move of DOJ, Supreme Court spokesperson and Court Administrator Atty. Midas Marquez said they will be ordering Justice Secretary De Lima to explain why she should not be cited for contempt.

Nevertheless, he said they will have to observe due process and cannot say there is a violation until it is proven.

"We must respect the constitutional rights of the petitioner [Arroyo]. If there is no charge filed against her, the Constitution allows her the right to travel and we must respect it," Marquez said.