Mike Arroyo wants to travel to Japan, HK again

Former first Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER

Former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, who is facing graft cases in the Sandiganbayan, on Tuesday asked the court to allow him to travel to Japan and Hong Kong on Feb. 3-10.

Arroyo’s counsel, Edna Herrera-Batacan, said he was invited to Tokyo on Feb. 3-7 by the Association of Overseas Filipino Communities in Edogawa-Ku.

From there, he plans to go to Hong Kong where he will preside over LTA Inc.’s yearly corporate planning session and take a short rest until the 10th. Arroyo is president of the family-owned LTA.

Arroyo is facing a graft complaint in connection with the NBN-ZTE deal in the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division and another complaint in connection with the P105-million overpriced helicopters case in the Second Division.

Meanwhile, Sandiganbayan prosecutors on Tuesday described as “unreasonable” the request of Manuel Morato, a coaccused of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a plunder case for the alleged misuse of PCSO funds, to be placed under house arrest. Cynthia D. Balana