Arroyo attends 'chopper wedding'

DAVAO CITY – It was a virtual “chopper wedding” as many of the guests came by helicopter, led by President Arroyo who transferred to a presidential helicopter after landing at the Davao International Airport at 9:30 a.m. yesterday.

Mrs. Arroyo was the principal sponsor at the wedding of Jeliza Farrah Dureza, daughter of Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, to Rodford Uy at the scenic family-owned Seagull Mountain Resort in Buda, at the boundary of Davao City and Bukidnon.

Mrs. Arroyo was met by Dureza and they took a golf cart to the Our Lady of Manaoag Chapel in time for the start of the wedding officiated by Davao Archbishop and former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Fernando Capalla.

Others who came in by helicopter were National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, banana magnate Antonio Floirendo Sr., Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, as well as officials of the Canadian TVI Mining Corp. and the Consunji Group of Companies.

Former President Fidel Ramos, who walked with Mrs. Arroyo as principal sponsors, arrived at the mountain resort by land, traveling very early yesterday morning from Cagayan de Oro City.

The President left after the Mass to attend a conference at the Awang Airport in Maguindanao, then flew to Camiguin Island where she was expected to stay last night to attend the island’s annual Lanzones Festival.

Hundreds of local police and military personnel were reportedly tapped to augment the members of the Presidential Security Group to ensure the security of the President, especially since the area is located along the Davao-Bukidnon Highway.

Dureza took time off from his job as press secretary since Thursday to oversee the preparations for his daughter’s wedding.

“All I want to do now is to take a long, long sleep,” Dureza said after the wedding.