A Philippine court issued an arrest warrant Friday for former President Gloria Arroyo for alleged large-scale vote tampering

The move comes hours after the Philippines election commission approved fraud charges against the former Philippine leader. The commission said the maximum penalty for the crime is life imprisonment.

The warrant prevents Ms. Arroyo from leaving the country. Ms. Arroyo and her husband tried to leave the country Tuesday, saying she is seeking medical treatment for a bone ailment. They were stopped at the Manila airport and prevented from leaving because of the ongoing investigations.

The justice department has been investigating Ms. Arroyo for alleged vote rigging in the 2004 and 2007 polls. She and her husband are also being investigated for alleged corruption involving government contracts.