(Updated 9:01 p.m.) The two women fighting for custody over the remains of the late Negros Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo Jr. decided to temporarily set aside their differences and let the brother of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo return to the Philippines for a decent burial, lawyers said Wednesday.
Lorna Kapunan, lawyer of Iggy's second wife Aleli, noted this was the result of talks ordered by a Quezon City judge handling the case of who shall have custody of the late lawmaker's body.
"Hindi ito amicable settlement ng kaso, settlement lang sa funeral arrangement. Today's hearing sa Quezon City RTC (Regional Trial Court), sabi riyan dapat pagdating ni Iggy let's give him a decent burial," Kapunan said in an interview on radio
dzBB. Leonard De Vera, lawyer of Iggy's partner Grace Ibuna, confirmed such development in an interview over GMA News' "24 Oras" Wednesday night. "I hope this will put an end to any problem that will serve as a hindrance to a decent burial," he said. The arrangement will be made official Thursday at the Quezon City RTC, the "24 Oras" report noted. Iggy Arroyo, 60, died in London late January due to a liver ailment. Aleli, who went to the UK shortly after Iggy's death to claim and return
his remains to the Philipines, was blocked by a suit Ibuna
filed in London claiming her rights over the body by virtue of a last will and testament supposedly signed in California that the late congressman supposedly left with Ibuna. In the "24 Oras" report, Aleli expressed gladness over the burial arrangement. "Talagang nagpapasalamat ako sa Panginoon. 'Yun 'yung sinabi ko kahapon... at sa lahat ng mga nagdadasal, kasi maraming nagdadasal sa amin na maiuwi ang katawan ni Congressman sa bahay... Nagpapasalat din ako kay judge," she said. Aleli's motion
According to Kapunan, Aleli filed a motion at the sala of Quezon City RTC Branch 92 Judge Eleuterio Bathan for custody over Iggy's remains and sought a temporary restraining order against others who may claim the the late representative's remains.
"Ang applicable dito 'yung Conflict of Laws, kasi yung dokumento na basis daw ni Ibuna ay executed in California, so California law. 'Yung judge ay UK judge. Kami naman ay nandito sa Philippine court. Last week po nag-file si Aleli for a petition for the custody of the remains of Congressman Iggy with a prayer for a restraining order to restrain people from claiming or usurping the rights of the legal wife.
'Yun po ang naka-file sa RTC of Quezon City," Kapunan said in a Feb. 22 report on GMA News' Unang Balita.
"Humihingi tayo ng restraining order sa Philippine court, which really is the court with jurisdiction for the legal wife to get the remains when it arrives here in the Philippines," she added. A North Cemetery burial Kapunan said
in the dzBB interview there was still no date when Iggy Arroyo will be returned to the Philippines.
The parties representing Aleli and Ibuna discussed the matter for three hours, Kapunan noted. It was agreed that the funeral parlor in London should release Iggy's remains to the Philippines'
Arlington Funeral Homes.
But before the burial arrangement was reached, Ibuna wanted Iggy brought to Arlington while Aleli wanted him brought to Loyola near the Arroyos' house in La Vista, Quezon City.
"Payag na rin kami. Huwag na natin pagawayan [kung] anong funeral parlor 'yan," Kapunan said.
From Arlington Funeral Homes, the late congressman will be brought to the Arroyo ancestral home in La Vista for 48 hours with Mike Arroyo in charge of the arrangements.
Iggy will then be transferred to Aleli's house,
said
Kapunan.
The remains will also be brought to the House of Representatives at a time and day in line with
the congressmen's
schedule.
"Kaya lang tiyempo natin, Kapunan noted."Congress is up to Thursday lang and most of them sa impeachment ‘pag hapon... So, tiyempo rin sa Congress dapat umaga at hindi weekend at hindi Friday. Ang scheduling namin ‘yan ang kailangan flexible tayo," she said.
From Congress, Iggy's remains will be flown to Bacolod City so his constituents can pay their respects to the late representative.
"Ultimately, after Bacolod, the final resting place everybody agrees sa North Cemetery, near the mother," Kapunan said. — With Carmela G. Lapeña/KBK/VS, GMA News
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