Gina de Venecia slams Mikey Arroyo

February 26, 2008

A slam for a slam.

Ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.’s spouse, Gina, yesterday slammed presidential son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, who had earlier slammed his godmother, Gina, telling her to “shut up” and desist from issuing harsh statements against his mother, President Arroyo.

But Mrs. De Venecia, who has apparently returned the candle, a common Filipino saying means a total break with the other party, yesterday issued a statement on the “shut up” call of Mikey, saying: “In true Arroyo fashion, as if to echo his father’s (FG Mike Arroyo) call

for my stepson, Joey to “back off!” Mikey just told his Ninang Gina de Venecia to ‘shut up’ in yet another display of arrogance by the presidential son.

“While it is true that I am no a politician but ‘merely a housewife’ as his mother refers to me, I, too am entitled to express my views as a citizen of this nation.

“Let me make it clear though, that every statement I make is founded on the truth, and whether it pleases them or not, I will continue to speak the truth,” Mrs.De Venecia said.

Earlier, the presidential son lashed out at Gina de Venecia, saying she should “shut up” and stop issuing harsh statements against his mother.

In an interview in Malacañang, Mikey Arroyo said Mrs. De Venecia should know where she stands because she is not a politician and therefore has no right to engage in politicking.

“If I were her, I would relegate the politicking to Manong Joe (her husband, Jose). Why are they so mad, anyway? What is there in being a Speaker?” he said.

Mikey also challenged the family of the ousted Speaker to explain their side on the revelation of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) chief, Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. that he is a protector of an oil smuggler.

“He (Jose de Venecia) should answer Usec Villar, because he pointed to him as coddler of a smuggler. That is a serious allegation,” he stressed.

Earlier, the PASG accused De Venecia of lobbying for suspected oil smuggler Oil Link to forgo criminal charges of technical smuggling against the oil firm owned by a certain Paul Co.

In a press briefing, Villar said the incident happened sometime in June, after the national elections last year, when he was invited to a breakfast meeting by the De Venecias at their residence in Forbes Park, Makati City.

He said the then Speaker tried to convince him not to proceed with the criminal case against Oil Link since the company had already paid P500 million as settlement in a compromise deal with the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Finance, in exchange for paying its tax liabilities that amounted to P3 billion.

Villar said under the supposed agreement, his agency would no longer file a criminal case against Oil Link for technical smuggling, falsification of public documents and violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Villar said he arrived at the De Venecia’s house around 8 a.m. and was not aware that Co was also be invited until he arrived around 9:30 a.m.

He said after the breakfast he was even escorted by Co to his car, where the latter asked him to drop the criminal charges against him and his firm.

Villar said De Venecia told him to cooperate because Co is apparently an influential person, his son-in-law being employed in Malacañang and went with the President in a business trip in Africa last year.

Despite the pressure, Villar said he still proceeded with the filing of the criminal case against Oil Link because the government would lose P4 billion if he did not.

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