After pleading not guilty to electoral sabotage charges last week, detained former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo has asked the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) to allow her to post bail for her temporary liberty pending trial of the case.

Arroyo’s lawyer Benjamin Santos said he filed a motion for bail before the sala of Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City RTC Branch 112.

“Under the Constitution every accused has the right to bail and the former president is invoking this right,” he said.

Felda Domingo, RTC Branch 112 spokesperson, said a hearing has been set today for oral arguments of the prosecution and defense on the motion, which was filed two days after the arraignment last week.

Arroyo is currently detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where she is undergoing daily therapy for her spinal ailment and other illness.

Santos said every accused, even those facing capital offenses that carry a penalty of life imprisonment, have the right to bail if there is no strong evidence of guilt.

He said term “non-bailable offense” is a misnomer because the right to bail for every accused is enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

“I will argue before the court that there is no strong evidence of guilt on the case of the former president and that she is entitled to her constitutional right for temporary liberty while she is on trial,” Santos said.

The motion to fix bail was the first legal move on the camp of Arroyo after she pleaded not guilty to the electoral sabotage charges that were filed against her together with former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former Maguindanao election officer Lintang Bedol.

Mupas has set the pre-trial hearing of the case on April 19.

Arroyo, Ampatuan, and Bedol were accused of manipulating the election results in Maguindanao during the 2007 elections.

During her arraignment, Arroyo through her lawyer waived the reading of the information of the case.

“We are now prepared for the full blown trial of the case,” Santos said.

He said they would seek a speedy trial, which is a constitutional right of the former president.

“We will ask the court for at least three hearings a week,” he said.

Mupas had earlier reset the arraignment from Feb. 20 to March 19 but Santos filed a motion to proceed with the arraignment for security and health reasons of the former president.

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