GMA health condition better – lawmaker

THE health condition of former President and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga province has greatly improved since her transfer to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center from the St. Luke’s Medical Center, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez of Quezon, a member of the coalition Lakas-kampi-christian Muslim Democrats, Mrs. Arroyo’s party, said that he noticed improvements in the former leader’s health when he visited her on Tuesday at Veterans Memorial.

“I visited her last night, she looks well. She’s not wearing the neck brace,” Suarez told reporters.

But he said that Mrs. Arroyo “is still in some pain and discomfort

although she started to feel an improvement in her condition.”

Suarez added that the former president expressed her wish to visit the wake of Rep. Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental, who is her brother-in-law.

The remains of the lawmaker are still in London where he died last week.

Suarez reiterated his appeal to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to help Mrs. Arroyo gain the privilege to use communication gadgets so that she can attend to her legislatives functions.

“All she has in her room is a television set,” the lawmaker said. “That’s why I am asking the Speaker to help us restore the use of cellular phone for her legislative work.”

Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest for electoral sabotage.

She is also facing another criminal complaint before the Sandiganbayan for her alleged involvement in the botched $ 330- million broadband deal with Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE) Corp. of China.

Also on Wednesday, Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. opposed a motion to place Mrs. Arroyo under house arrest.

Brillantes said it that will be up to Pasay City Judge Jesus Mupas if he will grant Mrs. Arroyo’s request for house arrest.

“Everything is up to the judge. As prosecutors, it is our job to oppose to avoid any showing of special treatment,” he added.