Sandiganbayan permits Mike Arroyo to leave country

The Sandiganbayan 4th Division on Wednesday said that they permitted former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to go out of the country.

Arroyo was allowed by the court to go to Tokyo, Japan to have a meeting with Japanese inventors and a short vacation in Hong Kong from May 3 to 10.

On the other hand, Edna Batacan, Arroyos' lawyer said that the former First Gentleman would converse with the businessmen of Japan to invest here in the country on hydroelectricity projects to help lessen the problem of power shortage.

Bacatan made sure that her client is coming back after a week, as the court mandated Arroyo to give a Php 90,000 travel bond.

Mr. Arroyo, his wife former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos are facing graft charges in the Sandiganbayan regarding the ZTE National Broadband Network Deal. However, the Arroyo couple and Abalos appealed not guilty of the charges. — ARA