Former President Joseph Estrada on Friday said Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can be temporarily held under arrest at a public hospital, instead of a police detention center.

He told radio dzMM's "Dos por Dos" that he feels pity for Arroyo, who ousted him from power, because no one else pities her.

"Sa aking pananaw, bilang babae naman siya, sa isang government hospital man lang," Estrada said. "Bigyan natin ng kaunting kaluwagan. Puwede naman sa government hospital kagaya ng Veterans Hospital o V. Luna Hospital."

"Nakakaawa naman kung doon ilalagay sa [detention center] ... napakahirap naman," he added. "Ako naman naaawa sa kanya dahil sa wala nang naaawa sa kanya eh."

The Southern Police District has converted one of its rooms as a temporary detention facility for Mrs. Arroyo in case the court orders it.

Estrada said Arroyo should look at his situation when her administration had him imprisoned in 2001.

"Ako kung ihahambing doon sa nangyari sa akin, ako nung inaresto noon, mahigit na 3,000 pulis dito sa bahay at dinala ako sa Camp Crame at kinuhanan ako ng mugshot pagkatapos, pinasok ako sa karsel," he said. "Apat na araw ako sa Camp Crame, tapos dinala ako sa Sta. Rosa... barbed wire, lahat nakapaikot. "

He said he also requested for house arrest but the Arroyo administration rejected his plea.

According to Estrada, he was brought to his rest house in Tanay only after a couple of years.

"Ang iniisip ko lang, bakit sila mag-aapply sa bahay, sa house arrest? Eh hindi naman patas yata ang batas," he said.

"Dapat the law applies equally to everybody. Iyon ang akin lang damdamin," he added.

GMA's 'many sins'

Estrada said public sentiment is against Arroyo because of her performance as chief executive.

"Maraming napahirapan eh. Lahat ng ahensya ng ating pamahalaan nacorrupt eh," he said.

"Kinorrupt ang PCSO [Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office], kinorrupt ang PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.], kinorrupt ang pulis, kinorrupt ang military, kinorrupt ang Department of Agriculture ... iyung fertilizer fund, kinorrupt ang Department of Finance, kinorrupt ang DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communication] ... iyung ZTE, lahat na ng ahensiya ng gobyerno kinorrupt, tapos napakaraming extra-judicial killings. Maraming kasalanan," said Estrada.

Arroyo took office in January 2001 after a military-backed civilian revolt ousted Estrada from Malacañang. He was then arrested and tried for corruption.

In 2007, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan convicted him for plunder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but Arroyo pardoned him.

Arroyo was arrested on November 18 for electoral sabotage, a non-bailable offense. She was indicted for allegedly being behind the rigging of votes for the administration ticket in some areas in Muslim Mindanao in the 2007 mid-term elections.

Arroyo, who is reportedly suffering from hypoparathyroidism, wanted to travel abroad last week to seek treatment from foreign medical specialists, but the government prevented her from leaving the country.