Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman are no longer friends.
Gloria lost a loyal and true friend and ally in Lagman who had been her staunch defender on the floor of the House of Representatives and out of it on issues brought against her.
The Bicolano congressman complains GMA presided over a plot to oust him as minority floor leader in an emergency meeting she called from her hospital bed.
Lagman, a very articulate legislator, said those present at the meeting were Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelia Villarosa.
All three, according to Lagman, were GMA’s “constant traveling companions” in past foreign trips.
Minority Leader Lagman’s office said GMA gave her blessings in the plot to have him replaced by Suarez as chief of the 29-strong minority bloc in the House.
Why did GMA do that to her staunch friend and ally?
Because Gloria and Mike consider their friends as toys that can be discarded after using them.
The couple remind me of a description about the hedonistic brothers Jack and Bobby Kennedy in a book about their sexual exploits: “Bam, bam, thank you, Ma’am.”
* * *
This columnist’s message to Lagman: Welcome to the club!
You have realized the hard way, as I had, that the Arroyos are “plastic” friends.
In short, they’re users.
If their interests conflict with those of their friends, they will discard friendship in favor of their interests.
* * *
I was very close to the Arroyos in the first half of GMA’s presidency.
The Arroyos thought that because I was close to them I would forget I am a journalist and close my eyes to their shenanigans.
For those who don’t know yet, I had a falling out with Mike—and eventually, GMA— after I exposed the smuggling activities of Mike’s alleged very close “friend,” Vicky Toh, and her brother Tomas.
Gloria, who gave me permission to expose the Tohs, didn’t back me up when her husband got back at me with full force.
I found out that Gloria could not scold Mike for his punitive action against me because Mike was—and still is—allegedly holding on to their conjugal ill-gotten wealth.
Mutual friends—the Arroyos and mine—told me that when Mike was hovering between life and death at St. Luke’s Medical Center during a delicate operation a couple of years ago, Gloria was worried sick not only because she loved Mike.
More so, she was worried that if he died, their conjugal ill-gotten wealth would mostly go to Mike’s brother, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, and Vicky Toh, who are both reportedly holding the loot for the former president’s husband.