Philippines Supreme Court frees former President Arroyo after 5 years

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plunder charge against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and ordered her immediate release from nearly five years of hospital detention.

The justices voted 11-4 to grant Ms Arroyo’s petition seeking to dismiss the plunder case before the special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court because of a lack of evidence, Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said. The case involved the alleged misuse of 366 million pesos ($7.8 million) from the state lottery agency, the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office. “I rejoice over this decision that has already given her what she rightly deserves which is justice,” said Jesus Dureza, who served as adviser on peace talks with communist and Muslim rebels under Ms Arroyo. Mr Dureza said he congratulated Arroyo in a phone call and heard many supporters in the background as she spoke. Mr Dureza has been reappointed as peace talks adviser under the current President, Rodrigo Duterte, who added a number of Ms Arroyo allies to his Cabinet.

Ms Arroyo, 69, finished her tumultuous nine-year term in 2010 but was arrested the following year on an election fraud charge.