Arroyo to monitor SONA from Hong Kong

MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will keep an eye on the proceedings of the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III from Hong Kong, her spokesperson said Monday.

Insisting anew that the trip was not meant to avoid Aquino’s speech, which promised to uncover anomalies of the Arroyo administration, Elena Bautista-Horn said the former president would have been present in the SONA if she had a choice.

“You know the former president and now congresswoman Arroyo is a very hands-on president and now congresswoman. Of course, she wants to be here, in fact, she asked us to monitor and we will let her know what’s happening,” she said.

Horn added that Arroyo also asked her to update her on the voting for the House speaker.

“We will have to report everything to her,” she said.

Arroyo left Sunday night for Hong Kong to accompany her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, for a check-up following a spine surgery here last month.

Arroyo will return to the country Tuesday or Wednesday.

Source: Inquirer