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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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NEW YORK– For many Filipinos, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s tastiest meals in her presidency proved to be tasteless acts.
In a country known for extreme poverty and hunger, its president allegedly spent almost $35,000 for two highbrow dinners in two pricey restaurants in Washington, D.C., and New York City, respectively during her visit to the US.
According to the New York Post, and a Washington Post blog, Arroyo was seen eating with a large party on July 30 at the Bobby Van steakhouse in DC, and on August 2 at the top of the line French joint Le Cirque in Manhattan. It was reported that Arroyo and her crew spent $15,000 at Bobby Van, and
$20,000 at Le Cirque. These lavish meals allegedly happened while the Philippines was mourning the loss of its icon of democracy and symbol of honest government, Corazon Aquino.
The Arroyo administration admitted that these banquets really happened, however, they maintained that the president did not pay for the meals, rather, a Congressman Daniel Suarez paid for the Bobby Van meat and wine fest and a relative of former First Lady Imelda Marcos paid for the Manhattan dinner.
Arroyo’s press secretary Cerge Remonde defended his boss saying that people cannot expect a president to eat at a hotdog stand. He also reiterated that the meals were casual and simple, contrary to the NY Post and Washington Post articles, which he believes were blown out of proportion as part of a black propaganda against the president.
Analysis
If Arroyo is the Queen of Saudi Arabia, or the president of a rich nation, Remonde’s statement would be logical. But Arroyo is not the president of an oil rich nation nor a well developed country. She is the leader of a country that is sulking in poverty since the mid 1900s. A country ridden with unemployment, homelessness and poor education. She is the symbol of a country that is trying its best to stay alive with
prayers and the raw desire to survive. This is the real situation.
Perhaps, Arroyo would be seen in a better light, if she indeed ate at a hotdog stand. However, that was not the case. Instead, she chose the road most traveled by. An unpopular and selfish path paved with five ounces of Ostera caviar worth $1,400, 11 bottles of wine worth $510 each, 25 orders of Chef’s Tasting Menu worth $4,500 per order, and 25 orders of a three-course Chef’s Seasonal Menu worth $1,450 per order. Regardless of who paid these meals, it still remains a blatant case of PDA: Public Display of Avarice if taken in context with the current economic strife in the Philippines.
Perhaps it is the president’s upbringing as the daughter of a former president that made her choose the good life, naturally. To her, it is but a “normal” meal. But tell that to a Filipino laborer who gets by with just broth and a cup of rice. Or to six-year old boy who digs up garbage in murky rivers and ponds just to get
enough money to buy a piece of bread. These people will tell Mrs. Arroyo what a normal meal really is.
Cory’s Revenge
It is no secret that the late former President Cory Aquino and President Arroyo aren’t the best buddies. In fact, when Mrs. Aquino died, it was revealed that the Arroyo administration allegedly tried to pull out the presidential security guards assigned to guard the late president. This happened after Mrs. Aquino asked President Arroyo to step down after Arroyo was accused of massive cheating in the 2004 elections.
Now, the exposÈs that revealed these extravagant dinners in the US happened while Mrs. Aquino was being canonized by the world after succumbing to colon cancer on August 1, which is two days after the alleged dinner at Bobby Van and a day before the LeCirque meal.
Could this be the final act of defiance of the Lady in Yellow against President Arroyo? Could this be Mrs. Aquino’s way of shining light to the avarice that is so prevalent in the current regime? Perhaps, President Arroyo and her officials were certain that their extravagance would go unnoticed. But here it appeared like the late Mrs. Aquino pulled the world’s attention to the Philippines with her death to complete her revenge.
Bad Example
No matter how Malacanang defends this acts of extravagance, they are aware that they are in a no-win situation. They can never justify this excessive practices that further alienated the government from its starving people. It wasa clear example of insensitivity and poor judgement. Even even if no tax payer money was ever used in the two meals, its impact on the FIlipino people and the global stage is so huge that no PR genius could ever help President Arroyo recover from this mess.
If President Arroyo still has remaining hope to extend her term smoothly by any means, she must have flushed it down the toilet along with the Ostera caviar and the lamb chops. The PDA just made her administration DOA.
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