Ex-Presidents’ sons fight for family honor

Touching how they defend the family honor.

The scions of two former Presidents—one convicted of plunder, the other now facing a string of plunder complaints—revived old grudges in a trade of biting statements at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Ang Galing Pinoy Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo warned San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito against making baseless allegations against his parents, reminding Ejercito that his father managed to avoid prison time four years ago thanks to Arroyo’s mother.

Ejercito, a son of former President Joseph Estrada, earlier supported claims by Sen. Panfilo Lacson that Arroyo and her lawyer-husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo sold three used helicopters as brand new to the Philippine National Police in 2009.

Lacson’s claim, Ejercito said, “may pin the Arroyos down for their corrupt procurement of the aircraft and brazen abuse of power in government.”

“Though nothing is new with the Arroyos being tagged as corrupt and deceitful, what repulses me is their audacity to sell those three government-owned helicopters which were only acquired to (Arroyo’s) advantage during the 2004 elections, also known as ‘Hello Garci’ (poll rigging) operations,” Ejercito said.

“Truly, nobody used and abused power the way (she) and her family did during her reign of corruption and terror at the Palace,” the San Juan representative added.

Five plunder raps

Since 2004, five plunder complaints have been filed against former President Arroyo over alleged multimillion-peso anomalies like the fertilizer scam, the scuttled NBN-ZTE deal, the sale of the old Iloilo airport and the diversion of welfare funds for migrant workers.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mike Arroyo denied that the PNP helicopters came from his family and denounced the supposed exposé as a ploy to mask the Aquino administration’s “lackadaisical performance.”

On Thursday, it was Mikey Arroyo’s turn to hit back, calling on Ejercito to mind his language, review the rules of evidence and stop pulling publicity stunts since it was no longer election season.

“I am extending my full understanding toward Congressman Ejercito,” Mikey Arroyo said.

“Being a neophyte lawmaker, he has a penchant for displaying unparliamentary behavior against a colleague and total legal ignorance.”

Flashback

Mikey Arroyo also came up with his own flashback: “When he (Ejercito) was still a President’s son, there were also rumors he was cornering government contracts. But I did not raise them precisely because those were also unfounded.”

He reminded Ejercito that the latter’s father, deposed President Estrada, was now a free man thanks to the presidential pardon granted by Arroyo’s mother in October 2007, a month after the Sandiganbayan convicted him of plunder.

“I am not saying that Congressman Ejercito should view this as utang na loob (debt of gratitude) to the Arroyos,” Mikey said. “All I’m saying is that he should be careful in everything he says.”

But Ejercito was not done for the day. Shooting back, he said his father was brave enough to face the plunder charges against him in court.

Never in debt

His family never regarded the pardon as a debt of gratitude since his father had consistently maintained that his conscience was clear, said Ejercito, Estrada’s son out of wedlock with former actress Guia Gomez.

“If my father bravely faced the allegations previously set against him, the Arroyos including Congressman Mikey’s, should likewise set the record straight if indeed they did not commit the numerous scandals and anomalies that hounded the past administration,” Ejercito said.

He stressed that his being a staunch critic of the Arroyos was neither a publicity ploy nor an act of vengeance against Mikey’s family.

“As a representative, I deem it a responsibility to tell our people the overwhelming truth,” Ejercito said. “I would rather be on the good side of the pendulum than be apathetic and do nothing out of what I know.” With a report from Inquirer Research