A Catholic bishop known to be a critic of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo during her presidency said Arroyo should be allowed to get medical treatment abroad.

Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso stressed that while the former president should be prosecuted for acts she allegedly committed before she became a congresswoman, the government should also consider her health.

“For humanitarian reason I hope the former president will be allowed to get medical treatment abroad,” Medroso said.

“For me personally, she should be treated where ever she wants. We are now looking at a person or a patient who is in an emergency,” he added.

The prelate pointed out that while Arroyo, who is suffering from a bone ailment, has many things to explain to the people, he knows when not to beat a person who is already down.

He called on the government to be fair in its decision on Arroyo, who is currently detained at Veterans Memorial Medical Center on charges of electoral sabotage, and set aside personal differences and “revenge.”

“We should also pay attention to her health condition,” Medroso added.

But the bishop said that Arroyo’s camp should guarantee her return so as to remove doubts that she is only using her medical condition to evade criminal prosecution by going abroad.

President Benigno Aquino earlier expressed doubts on the claims of Arroyo’s allies that she is suffering from a life-threatening medical condition and needs to be treated abroad.

Aquino said he will just wait for the medical advice of health experts and let the court decide if the former president will be allowed to leave the country.