Different views
Coffee shop habitués have once again gathered to engage in a tete a tete over the recent testimony at the Senate by a certain engineer Dante Madriaga.
According to Madriaga, he saw First Gentleman Mike Arroyo on
Arroyo allegedly mouthed unprintable words against someone whom he referred to as “yang bata na yan (that kid).” Madriaga said he later learned that kid to be Joey de Venecia, the son of ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia who lost a bid for the government’s national broadband network project.
During the hearing, the younger De Venecia backed Madriaga’s account, saying, yes, the First Gentleman, was wearing formal clothes when he went to Wack-Wack that day to tell him (De Venecia) to “back-off” from the NBN project.
It turned out however that there was something wrong with their testimonies because Arroyo was still being processed for release at Saint Luke’s Hospital at the time of his claimed presence at Wack-Wack and his claimed outburst. St. Luke’s issued a certificate that Arroyo was confined with them for coronary angioplasty from Dec. 1 to Dec. 5.
Well, our coffeeshop friends are of the opinion that its preposterous to claim that someone who had just been released from a hospital would go to a golf course to bear down on someone over business matters.
Their belief has received the backing of some hospital staffers who have attended to the First Gentleman for his angioplasty in 2006 and again from April 9 to
All these hospital staffers could not reconcile the FG being portrayed by Madriaga and De Venecia and the FG they have come to know.
Alma Bella Vallarta, a nurse assigned to the coronary care unit (CCU) and who has been with St. Luke’s for four years now, has only nice words about the FG.
According to her, Arroyo is kind and not bossy, speaks softly, and follows all the instructions of his doctor and of the medical staff. Vallarta claims that the FG never acted like a VIP and was just like any ordinary patient. Every time he makes a request, he always said “please” in a soft voice, she said.
Regie Duruian, who was assigned to the cardiac rehabilitation unit, attended to Mike Arroyo after his operation last year. He says that the FG is very friendly, would engage in light talk with the staff and other patients and even exchange jokes, and would often ask the other patients how they were doing.
According to Regie, Arroyo, despite his position, didn’t mind being kidded about how his formely bulging stomach became flatter.
Regie adds that the First Gentleman never failed to thank them for any service they would give him. Aline Catamin, section manager of the Cardiac Rehab section, said that Mike Arroyo “who has been a regular patient for sometime now, never demanded VIP treatment and does not make a special appointment.
Like a typical Ilonggo, Catamin says Arroyo is very mild-mannered and soft-spoken. Arvin Ereno, who attended to the First Gentleman at the cardio vascular recovery room, and Aristotle Lava, who was assigned to the coronary care unit, also have fond memories of the FG. Arroyo impressed them as “tahimik” or a quiet person, not bossy, soft-spoken and was not prone to giving orders or making demands for service unless necessary.
I do not know the First Gentleman personally. It’s just interesting that they are talking of the same person, yet their characterizations do not match. Who’s a better gauge of character? It’s up for you to decide.
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