Former President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo boarded her flight Tuesday to Abu Dhabi, where she is expected to proceed to Munich, Germany for a two-week trip with her husband Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo.

The Etihad Airways flight was scheduled to depart at 1:15am.

Speaking to ABS-CBN News before boarding, Rep. Arroyo said the trip was meant to continue her medical checkup and treatment which was halted when she was placed under hospital arrest for graft and plunder cases.

"Remember when I was detained for so long and I was not allowed to go abroad for medical checkup and medical treatment. Now ill be able to do it so I'm going to do it," she said.

The Supreme Court recently ordered Arroyo released after it struck down plunder charges against the former President in connection with alleged misuse of charity sweepstakes funds.

The Sandiganbayan has also dismissed the NBN-ZTE graft case against the Arroyo couple.

"As soon as I got the decision of acquittal I made an appointment already. So this appointment i got," she said.

The Arroyo couple's trip will also include a stay in Paris, France.

Arroyo is flying out of the country for the first time since she was prevented from leaving in November 2011 by the Department of Justice under then Secretary Leila de lima.

Arroyo declined to comment on de Lima's loss of the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Justice on Monday.