Arroyo Under Arrest, Her Lawyer Challenges Court
Arroyo arrest is being contested by her lawyer.
The lawyer of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is contesting the court's jurisdiction to order the arrest of his client on electoral fraud.
Raul Lambino, the former President's lawyer, said the court will hear a motion today to lift the arrest warrant on the grounds the criminal suit should have been filed elsewhere.
"We feel that there has been a violation of due process when they railroaded this case and filed the information at a wrong court," he told ABS-CBN.
Lambino added that the case should be dealt with by a special court--the Sandiganbayan--which handles cases involving public officials.
"The court should not have issued a warrant of arrest," he said.
The Pasay City RTC ordered the arrest of the 64-year-old former President last Friday after the COMELEC filed election fraud charges on the same day.
GMA is facing the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted by the lower court in Manila.
Gloria Arroyo is the second Philippine leader to stand trial. Her predecessor Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder in 2007 but pardoned by Arroyo 40 days later.
The current President Noynoy Aquino, however, is not bent on giving pardon to GMA.
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