ShareThisMANILA — Former President now Pampanga congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has lost weight and her health may not be improving.
Due to this, she may seek medical help abroad, most possibly in the United States.
Already, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he is allowing former President to seek medical help abroad despite her inclusion in the Immigration watch list.
Belmonte said he would approve the travel order for Mrs. Arroyo, reiterating it is important for the former president to get the best medical attention she can find.
Elena Bautista-Horn, spokesperson of the former president, said the family of Mrs. Arroyo was considering treatment abroad for her “hypoparathyroidism,” a rare hormonal condition, because there are no local experts on the disease.
The condition was discovered in August, after the last of three surgeries she underwent to correct her injured spine.
Belmonte said “there are different dates (for the request) and I asked the office of Elena Horn and they said they just want to be sure that when it’s necessary to go, they are prepared.”
Belmonte said the camp of Mrs. Arroyo also mentioned taking along a nurse when she leaves.
He also said he earlier gave travel authority to three countries to Mrs. Arroyo, which already lapsed — New York to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting and Medical Consultation on September 18-27, 2011; Munich, Germany for medical consultation on September 28-October 6, 2011; and to Geneva, Switzerland to participate in the regional consultation meetings of the International Commission Against Death Penalty on October 10-11, 2011.
“I am ready to amend (the travel authorities earlier issued to Arroyo) any time, if necessary,” he said.
The Speaker also downplayed talks that the former president, who is facing plunder charges over alleged graft committed during her presidency, may not return to the Philippines if she is allowed to leave.
Belmonte said he is confident that the former president would come back and face all charges against her.
“The moment you don’t come back, you don’t come back to your duty,” he said.
Belmonte said that Mrs. Arroyo deserves “to get the best medical services whether here or abroad.”
Malacanang has already said that it will allow Mrs. Arroyo to seek medical treatment for her condition abroad “as a humanitarian gesture.”