MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said on Monday that it will not make a government-to-government arrangement to speed up the repatriation of the remains of Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo from London.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the government can only provide the necessary assistance for bringing home the remains of the congressman but the Aquino administration will not interfer in family matters.

“It’s a personal matter, it’s very hard for us to intervene in such a matter,” Lacierda said.

A funeral parlor in London refused to release Arroyo’s body to his wife Aleli, reportedly after, Grace Ibuna, who has been living with Arroyo for the past six years, secured a court order giving her custody of the body.

There were reports that Ibuna had presented Arroyo’s will before the court to bolster her authority over the remains.

“This is a personal matter and also there’s a case before the British court so I don’t think we are in a position to interfere in that particular matter,” Lacierda said.

“We can only provide the necessary assistance towards bringing back the remains of Representative Iggy Arroyo but as to intervening between the two parties, it will be very difficult for us to do so,” he said.

The Palace had already said earlier that the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), can only assist in terms of processing of papers but legal issues within the family would not be dealt with.

Arroyo died of a liver ailment in London on January 26.