Press Release
August 13, 2009

Pia hits PGMA group's expensive US dinners and lawyer's callous remarks

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today said no amount of fact-twisting and diversionary tactics by President Arroyo's men can temper the people's indignation over her contingent's expensive dinners in upscale restaurants in New York and Washington DC while on official visit to the US last week.

Cayetano, Chairperson of the Committee on Social Justice, issued the statement after the President's lawyer, Atty. Romulo Macalintal, drew flak for alleging that media establishments themselves had been engaging in "immoral" acts by profiting from the infomercials of presidentiables.

Commenting on Macalintal's swipes at the media, she said: "If Malacanang is wondering why people are getting angrier, it's because of their spokespersons who try to take us for fools with their arrogant and insensitive ways of responding to issues. Imagine twisting the issue and blaming the media for their lavish dining?"

"People expect the President's aides to be more responsible and accountable for their words and actions. They should not be practitioners of the art of deception," she concluded.

"Taken together, the dinners at Le Cirque ($20,000) and Bobby Van's Steakhouse ($15,000) amounted to $35,000 or P1.7 million."

"Make no mistake that we acknowledge the decision of Pres. Arroyo to meet with US Pres. Barack Obama and that her contingent would inevitably incur reasonable expenses related to the state visit, but to travel with an entourage of over 50 people and to spend that much for two meals? That is just too much."

"And from the looks of it, they do not even see what is wrong with the picture."

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