The Embarrassment that is Mikey

Whoever Atty. Guzman is, he has a lot to answer the moment his plane lands. Well that's because his client told the whole country, that if we have a problem regarding his so-called wealth reflected on his Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) we should ask the good attorney.

Yesterday, in one of Philippine TV's finest moments, my Econ professor by the name of Winnie Monsod showed Unang Hirit viewers how the Congressman who thinks that there is no dignity in eating at turo-turos, also thinks that Filipinos are stupid enough to believe all the rubbish his mouth speaks.

Watch the videos below and see how Mikey Arroyo desperately tried to evade Mareng Winnie's upfront questions.

If Arroyo cannot fully explain the discrepancies of his own SAL, how is he able to represent his province properly? And by saying that his worth that ballooned in his short span of "public" service, that is much questioned by critics, was earned through various gifts and donations for him, would not that tantamount to bribery, especially since he is a public official and law states that such cannot accept gifts either in cash or in kind?

R.A. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees states under section 7 that:

(d) Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. - Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.

I applaud Ma'am Monsod for fearlessly interrogating the embarrassment that is Mikey Arroyo. Thank God your Econ exams weren't as tough as your questions for him.

What we need are politicians who are transparent and accountable to the people they serve. Not the likes of Mikey.

Seriously, did he think we'd believe that he doesn't fully own that California beach house?