Negros groups support
de Lima stand on GMA
Gloria camp seeks SC action vs. DOJ
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Representatives of five civil society groups in Negros Occidental and the Liberal Party of Bacolod yesterday issued statements of support for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for what they call her “courageous stand” in preventing former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Mike, from leaving the country “to seek medical treatment abroad.”

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) yesterday said any attempt in the House by Arroyo allies to impeach President Benigno Aquino III over the hold departure order on the Arroyos will not prosper.

The camp of Arroyo, now Pampanga second district representative, yesterday filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking the issuance of a cease and desist order to stop the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration from preventing her from leaving the country to seek medical treatment for her bone disease, and to cite De Lima for contempt.

MANILA – A physically weakened Gloria Arroyo has delayed a trip abroad for treatment, the ex-Philippine leader's aides said yesterday, prolonging a stand-off that has also pit the government against the judiciary.

Instead of flying to Singapore within the day as earlier planned, the hospitalized former leader now hopes her condition will improve so she can leave today, her spokeswoman Elena Bautista Horn said.

"If she's well by today we will fly out tomorrow," Horn said yesterday.

Police Station 2 men said they were not able to arrest a man who robbed a driver of his cash collection and carnapped his taxi yesterday because of lack of a patrol car.

Station 2 chief, Senior Insp. Lester Leada, said policemen who responded to the incident had to ride another taxi to chase the suspect.

Celso Bernadas, 53, of Purok Cereza South in Brgy. 3, Bacolod City and employed by the Faith taxi, reported to the police that a man rode his taxi in front of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital at about 3:30 a.m.