Former president and now House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (center) pays a courtesy call to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim at the Malaysian Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sept. 14 (Facebook).

It has been over a decade since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the Philippine president, yet she remains an influential figure in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

This was evident in her recent back-to-back trips to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of the International Commission Against Death Penalty (ICDP) mission; and Jakarta, Indonesia for a speaking engagement at a local education institution. 

Arroyo was in Kuala Lumpur from Sept. 13 to 14 to congratulate the Malaysian Government for abolishing the mandatory death penalty. Together with former president of Switzerland Ruth Dreifuss, Arroyo led the ICDP delegation in paying a courtesy call to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim at the Malaysian Parliament House. 

Then, on Sept. 15, Arroyo flew to Jakarta to to attend the first-ever Golkar Institute (GI) Presidential Lecture Series as its guest speaker. The event was slated to take place Saturday, Sept. 16. 

"Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated that leadership among ASEAN member-countries is not the exclusive domain of an individual but rather the shared responsibility of a group of people cooperating with each other. This approach requires collaboration, trust, and shared decision-making," read promotional material shared by GI on is Facebook page. 

"She added, leadership and resilience are crucial for shaping the future of the ASEAN region. By strengthening regional identity and collective leadership, enhancing community resilience, and promoting sustainable development," it added. 

Before the event, the 76-year-old Arroyo--who represents Pampanga's 2nd district in the Philippine House of Representatives--visited former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri. 

Arroyo--currently a deputy speaker in the House--served as Philippine president from 2001 to 2010. She is also a former House Speaker.