Philippine gov't pledges to do its best to convict ex-President

The Philippine government said on Sunday that it would do its best to ensure the success of the electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, and is prepared for any challenges that may be raised by her camp to undermine the case. Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte gave the assurance in an interview with state-run Radyo ng Bayan, when asked whether the government is confident that its case against Arroyo is strong enough to ensure her conviction. "What we can say is that we will prosecute the case to the best of our abilities," Valte said. She added that "government lawyers are prepared for any issues and challenges" that may be raised by the Arroyo camp against the case. On whether the case would be resolved before President Benigno Aquino III steps down in 2016, Valte said that while the Executive has no control over the progress of the case, "at least for the part of the Executive, what we can say is that we will avoid any unnecessary and undue delay on our part when it comes to our participation in the case." She declined to say whether more cases would be filed against officials of the previous administration as well as Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, but "the public can be assured ... that whatever cases that will be filed by the government against any former government official will be based on the evidence." Valte also said that Malacanang, the site of the government, has no say on where Arroyo would be detained later on, as this is a decision of the court, in response to calls from militant groups to put the former President in a regular jail cell.