Ron Gagalac of ABS-CBNNews.com reports: "The Office of the Ombudsman has asked the Sandiganbayan to immediately issue a warrant of arrest against former president and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the plunder case on the alleged illegal transfer of funds at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)."
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The report noted that in the Thursday, July 26, hearing at the Sandiganbayan First Division, "the prosecutors from the Ombudsman filed a motion asking the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the former president despite the hold departure order issued against her."
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The report quoted prosecutor Diosdado Calonge, who said, "Even if there is a hold departure order, they can still ask the court to allow them to travel abroad." Meanwhile, according to the report, Arroyo’s lawyer, Atty. Christian Diaz, countered, "(Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) is not a flight risk." Diaz pointed out that the hold departure order issued by the Sandiganbayan was detterrent enough.
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