Two women fight over body of Filipino lawmaker

MANILA - The women in the life of Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo are both claiming his remains.

Alicia "Aleli" Arroyo, the lawmaker's estranged wife, and her lawyer Lorna Kapunan failed in their mission to bring his body home from London because the director of the mortuary would not turn it over to them.

The director was said to be acting under the instruction of Grace Ibuna, Ignacio's longtime companion who was at his bedside when he was taken off life support on Jan 26. The director allegedly continued to recognise Ibuna as the lawmaker's next of kin because Alicia Arroyo failed to show proof that her marriage had not been annulled.

Ibuna wanted to have the lawmaker's remains cremated, according to Kapunan.

But Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo on Saturday told the Inquirer in Manila that his younger brother's body would be brought home by the latter's eldest child, Bianca, either Sunday or Monday.

"I think they (Aleli and Kapunan) will come home empty-handed. It is Bianca who will bring her father's body here in a day or two," he said.

Bianca is Ignacio's daughter by his first wife, Marilyn Jacinto, a sister of rock musician, businessman and radio DJ Ramon "RJ" Jacinto. Mike Arroyo sent her last week to London to arrange for the repatriation of her father's body.

Ignacio's marriage to Marilyn Jacinto has been annulled.

No cremation

Mike Arroyo refused to comment on the public dispute between the women that his brother had left behind. But he was insistent that the body be brought home intact.

"I called my niece, Bianca, about [the supposed planned cremation], and she told me that it was not true. She said she was coming home with her father and she told me there will be no cremation," he said.

Ibuna has been accused by Alicia Arroyo's camp of misrepresenting herself as Ignacio's wife.

Ignacio and Alicia Arroyo had been separated for six years but their marriage is still legally valid.

Alicia Arroyo and her lawyer flew to London last week and announced that they would take full control of the funeral arrangements and bar Ibuna from the memorial services.

According to Alicia Arroyo's text message to reporters, the body would have arrived on Saturday and brought immediately to the family residence in La Vista, Quezon City, for the first of a series of wakes before interment at the North Cemetery in Manila late this week.