MANILA, Philippines, June 29 (UPI) -- Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has said her husband, accused of influence-peddling, will move abroad, the BBC reported Wednesday.
The move is seen as an attempt to silence calls for the president, who also faces accusations of election fraud, to step down.
Her husband has been accused, along with their son and the president's brother-in-law, of taking kickbacks from operators of illegal lottery operators. Her husband denies the charges.
The son, Juan Miguel Arroyo, recently took leave from his parliamentary seat amid the payoff allegations, which are the subject of a Senate inquiry.
Arroyo told a business forum in Manila, "My husband has volunteered to go abroad ... to remove himself from any situation which will cast doubts on my presidency."
She did not say how long Jose Miguel, widely known as Mike, would remain abroad, or where he would go. She said: "I'm grateful to my husband for his sacrifice. My family will miss him terribly."
Arroyo is facing growing pressure to resign after she admitted telephoning an election official during last year's presidential election.
She apologized to the nation Monday for what she called a "lapse of judgment" but denied trying to influence the vote.
