Attacks vs Arroyos smokescreen to Aquino’s lackluster performance

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur, Philippines—Recent controversies blamed on former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—from the so- called “Pajero” bishops who were embroiled in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund mess, to Zaldy Ampatuan’s allegations of fraud in the 2004 and 2007 elections and graft in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—are all “smokescreen to President Benigno Aquino’s lackluster performance,” a son of the former president said.

Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo (2nd District), youngest child of the former president, said the series of exposés was suspicious as they were aired one after the other as Aquino’s State of the Nation Address draws near.

“It diverts attention away from P-Noy’s lackluster performance and puts the blame on the previous administration and our family,” Arroyo said in a press conference here Saturday.

Dato said he wondered why Malacañang kept on believing Ampatuan when Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had supposedly declared the suspended ARMM governor as “not a credible state witness.”

Dato slammed allegations that his father, former First Gentleman Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, was involved in manipulating the election results in Maguindanao in 2007.

He said his mother had no direct participation in the mid-term elections and its overall results even showed her mother’s Team Unity party was defeated.

“These are all lies and fabrications. We can show proof that at the time, they said my father had a meeting with Ampatuan, he was actually in the hospital, critically ill,” Dato said.

He said the present administration has continuously resorted to trial by publicity but had not achieved anything at the proper forum or court.

He said that so far, the testimonies in several cases filed against his mother, his brother Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Representative Mikey Arroyo, and uncle Negros Occidental 5th district Representative Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, had consisted of hearsay and “tsismis” (rumors) which did not prove anything.

He accused the current administration of double standard as witnesses against his mother were treated as saying the gospel truth while the case of Senator Panfilo Lacson’s use of fake documents in fleeing the country was referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs for action.

“Look what they have done to the bishops. The damage has been done because of their penchant for trial by publicity against their perceived enemies,” he said.

Dato also noted that while there were no cases leveled against him, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has already asked for copies of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.