Arroyo won't seek asylum, son says

MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Former Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has no plans to seek political asylum abroad and will stay in the country to face charges, her son said.

ABS-CBN News reported Diosdado "Dato" Macapagal Arroyo accused the government of falsely claiming his mother intended to seek political asylum based on unverified text messages.

"The former president is a brave person," he said. "If she wanted to, she could have left the country and never come back after she stepped down from office before she could be sued for various charges that we knew were coming."

The younger Arroyo, a Philippine lawmaker, said the past few weeks have been tough for the family, as his mother was prevented from leaving the country and arrested and charged with electoral sabotage.

He urged the public to pray for his mother "so she would be treated fairly and presumed innocent as inscribed in the constitution."

Doctors said Friday the former president is well enough to leave the hospital after being hospitalized last week for elevated blood pressure.

Her lawyers have asked a regional trial court to place her on house arrest but government lawyers said she should be held in a detention facility.