But DILG chief Robredo says photos are fake

MANILA, Philippines - The mug shots of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which circulated on the Internet on Monday are authentic, a police officer said.

Photo Courtesy of mugshots.com

In an interview with ANC, Senior Police Superintendent James Bucayu of the Southern Police District (SPD) said the photos which first came out in mugshots.com are real.

He denied the photos were leaked from his office following appeals from the Arroyo camp that the former president be treated with respect.

“The CIDG [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group] was the one who took the pictures, we just shared copies,” he said.

Aside from the CIDG, the court was also furnished with copies of the mug shots. The Pasay RTC yesterday banned the release of the mug shots.

Bucayu said he had to compare the leaked photos with their own copies. True enough, he said the photos are authentic.

Citing a report he received, Arroyo’s neck brace was not removed when the mug shots were taken because of her delicate condition following several surgeries for her neck ailments.

Bucayu said he was not around when the mug shots were taken because there were too many people inside the hospital room then.

He said Arroyo had to lie down when her fingerprints were taken.

He said an investigation is now ongoing to determine if someone from his office leaked the photos. The violator faces a maximum penalty, which is removal from service, he said.

Arroyo was booked and her mug shots taken on Saturday.

The Commission on Elections filed electoral sabotage charges against Arroyo on Friday, and a Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) then issued an arrest warrant.

Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, however, denied the photos are real, radio dzMM reported on Tuesday.

The booking numbers below the published photos are reportedly different from the report submitted to Robredo. -- with reports from Edwin Sevidal, dzMM, ANC