CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Not that he is hated as that he is not loved.”
This was how senatorial candidate and Akbyan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros reacted to presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo’s statement that moves against his possible candidacy under a party-list group was prompted by hatred of him and his family.
“It’s not really hatred. It’s just that I don’t think he is loved,” said Hontiveros, guest senatorial candidate of the Nationalista Party, after Akbyan launched here this week the “Deny the Arroyo Five” campaign.
The party-list Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) has listed Mikey as its first nominee for the May elections, together with outgoing mayors Dennis Pineda of Lubao and Buddy Dungca of Bacolor.
In a telephone interview, Mikey, reacting to the Akbayan launch, said that despite the “brickbats” being thrown against him and his family, he preferred to “offer the other cheek.”
“I opt to be a Christian and statesman by offering the other cheek,” he said.
But he lamented that the attacks against him and his family seemed to be borne of hatred. “Perhaps they hate me and my family,” he said.
Hontiveros, however, questioned Mikey’s honesty as she recalled that Mikey had been her student at the Ateneo where she used to be assistant instructor.
She recalled that when she first saw him in Congress, Mikey remarked to his friends that she gave him an “A” grade in his class. “I stopped to remark that was not how I remembered things,” she said, noting that Mikey almost failed in her subject.
Mikey said, however, that he has not been remiss of his duties as congressman, as he noted his legislation of renewable energy and his “expose” on overcharging of the Manila Electric Corp.
The Deny the Arroyo Five campaign meant to block the congressional victory not only of Mikey, but also of his mother Pres. Arroyo who is running in Pampanga’s second district, his brother Diosdado or “Dato” in Camarines Sur, his uncle Rep. Ignacio Arroyo in Negros Occidental and aunt Kasangga party-list Ma. Lourdes Arroyo.
While the campaign period for local candidates starts Friday, Bunny Lee of the Office of the Press Secretary said that Mrs. Arroyo will be in Bulacan and not campaigning in the second district.
On the other hand, her challenger Adonis Simpao and other members of the Liberal Party (LP) headed by reelectionist Gov. Eddie Panlilio were slated to assemble before midnight on Thursday at the patio of the Betis parish church in Guagua town in the second district for a Mass and, past midnight, for the holding of their “opening salvo” of their local campaign.
This was how senatorial candidate and Akbyan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros reacted to presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo’s statement that moves against his possible candidacy under a party-list group was prompted by hatred of him and his family.
“It’s not really hatred. It’s just that I don’t think he is loved,” said Hontiveros, guest senatorial candidate of the Nationalista Party, after Akbyan launched here this week the “Deny the Arroyo Five” campaign.
The party-list Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) has listed Mikey as its first nominee for the May elections, together with outgoing mayors Dennis Pineda of Lubao and Buddy Dungca of Bacolor.
In a telephone interview, Mikey, reacting to the Akbayan launch, said that despite the “brickbats” being thrown against him and his family, he preferred to “offer the other cheek.”
“I opt to be a Christian and statesman by offering the other cheek,” he said.
But he lamented that the attacks against him and his family seemed to be borne of hatred. “Perhaps they hate me and my family,” he said.
Hontiveros, however, questioned Mikey’s honesty as she recalled that Mikey had been her student at the Ateneo where she used to be assistant instructor.
She recalled that when she first saw him in Congress, Mikey remarked to his friends that she gave him an “A” grade in his class. “I stopped to remark that was not how I remembered things,” she said, noting that Mikey almost failed in her subject.
Mikey said, however, that he has not been remiss of his duties as congressman, as he noted his legislation of renewable energy and his “expose” on overcharging of the Manila Electric Corp.
The Deny the Arroyo Five campaign meant to block the congressional victory not only of Mikey, but also of his mother Pres. Arroyo who is running in Pampanga’s second district, his brother Diosdado or “Dato” in Camarines Sur, his uncle Rep. Ignacio Arroyo in Negros Occidental and aunt Kasangga party-list Ma. Lourdes Arroyo.
While the campaign period for local candidates starts Friday, Bunny Lee of the Office of the Press Secretary said that Mrs. Arroyo will be in Bulacan and not campaigning in the second district.
On the other hand, her challenger Adonis Simpao and other members of the Liberal Party (LP) headed by reelectionist Gov. Eddie Panlilio were slated to assemble before midnight on Thursday at the patio of the Betis parish church in Guagua town in the second district for a Mass and, past midnight, for the holding of their “opening salvo” of their local campaign.
