Former president now Pampanga lawmaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo attends her first press conference as deputy speaker since she was released after four years in hospital detention. Photo by Marc Jayson Cayabyab/黑料社
Freedom can work wonders.
A month-and-a-half after the Supreme Court set her free from hospital detention over plunder charges, a beautiful and radiant Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faced media on Monday.
READ:听Arroyo walks free after 4 yrs of hospital detention
It was the first time the deputy speaker led a press conference since her release from four years of hospital detention for allegedly conspiring to plunder P366 million from the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office when she was still President.
The Supreme Court ordered the release of Arroyo on July 19 after the tribunal ruled that her approval of the release of PCSO funds was only ministerial and did not constitute an 鈥渙vert act鈥� of听plunder.
搁贰础顿:听SC:听Arroyo听OK on fund release not 鈥榦vert act鈥� of听plunder
During her detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, she often appeared weak and frail. She also wore a neck brace and was often in a wheelchair. Documents submitted to the Sandiganbayan which was hearing her case depicted Arroyo鈥檚 condition as 鈥渨orsening.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听Arroyo鈥檚 health not improving, VMMC med bulletin shows听触听鈥楢rroyo has turned frail, thinner in hospital, should be granted house arrest鈥櫶�
During the press briefing, a reporter engaged the former President in banter and described her as 鈥渞adiant.鈥�
The reporter asked Arroyo about her state of health, noting that freedom seemed to have had an impact on her looks.
鈥淔reedom is always very healthy,鈥� said Arroyo, who was in a bright red trench coat. Her hair and face were made up. Her nails sported hot pink nail polish.
Gone was her neck brace.
With the crowd laughing, Arroyo returned the banter: 鈥淏aka humihingi kayo ng beauty tips.鈥�
Arroyo said she did not know her state of health because she had not yet consulted her doctor regarding her听cervical spondylosis, a degenerative disease of the bones and cartilage of the neck.
She said she would undergo stem cell treatment in Germany after the Sandiganbayan allowed her travel motion even as she faces a graft trial due to the National Broadband Network-ZTE anomalous deal./rga
搁贰础顿:听Court allows Arroyo to go abroad for vacation, treatment听|听Arroyo denies graft charges in broadband deal with China firm听