MANILA, Philippines--First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo has called former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. "a liar" for claiming that he suggested a mechanism by which the National Broadband Network project could be awarded to the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

In a chance interview with reporters at the lobby of St. Luke?s Medical Center in Quezon City from which he was discharged after a bout with diarrhea and vomiting, Arroyo strongly denied that he suggested a formula or scheme by which his wife, President Macapagal-Arroyo, could ensure the awarding of the allegedly overpriced NBN project to ZTE Corp. (Ms Arroyo was forced to abort the deal later.)

"I never suggested anything. That JDV is a liar, and you can tell him that to his face,'' Arroyo told reporters Sunday afternoon.

He was flanked by his sons, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo and Camarines Sur Rep. Dato Arroyo while he talked to reporters at around 12:40 p.m.

Arroyo, when pressed to say which of De Venecia?s recollections of their trip to the ZTE headquarters in China were not true, said "Tama na yung politika (Enough with the politics),'' he said.

Mikey, who was standing to the right of his father, suddenly held this Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter's right arm and told her, with eyes glaring, "Tama na, tama na.'' (Enough, enough).