Mike Arroyo urged to answer graft allegations over chopper deal

MANILA, Philippines – Instead of hiding behind his illness, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo should face and answer allegations about his role in the anomalous purchase of second-hand helicopters to the Philippine National Police in 2009, an opposition senator said on Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano assured Arroyo, who was invited in next week’s hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee that they would be gentle when he faces the committee.

“His [Arroyo] health is always a priority and we should respect that and pray for him when he does need medical care…But I do believe that the Senate can make preparations and can talk to his people to make sure that we can manage the stress levels of the hearing, including the time,including the manner of asking questions,” Cayetano said during Thursday’ regular forum in the Senate.

“I can assure him that we will be gentleman and the ladies will be ladies when we ask the questions and just like the bishops, who did not protest how they were treated in the Senate. But they can’t keep dodging the ball, sooner or later, they will have to appear and they will have to be accountable,” he said.

“Whatever real medical conditions he has, we will be sensitive and we will not put his health at risk. But he should not hide behind that either,” the senator added.

Cayetano questioned, however, why Arroyo would suddenly seek medical care in Hong Kong every time the Senate would invite him to a hearing when he usually goes to St.Luke’s even during emergencies.

So the senator expects that Arroyo will use his health condition to excuse himself from the Senate investigation next week.

“I personally believe na ang [that the] former First Gentleman ay mag-TTNT— mag tatago ng tago sa Senado [will be hiding and hiding from the Senate] or from other probes,” he said.

Arroyo was summoned by the committee after a businessman, Lionair Inc. president Archibald Po, pointed to him during Tuesday’s hearing that he was the owner of two used helicopters that were sold to the PNP.

But Arroyo’s camp denied the allegation and pointed out the absence of any documentary evidence that the the husband of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo owned the choppers.

“We never said he [Arroyo] was stupid. Ang allegation ng marami versus the former First Gentleman and the Arroyo family is corrupt sila, hindi na tanga sila,” Cayetano said, explaining that it was expected that a corrupt person would not leave a paper trail.