Mikey on US property: I declared everything I own

MANILA, Philippines - Insisting he has been “transparent” in his yearly statement of assets and net worth, presidential son Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo branded yesterday as “misleading” a story about his supposed secret properties in the US and said he is ready to answer the allegations in court.

The Pampanga congressman belied the allegations of Vera Files that he didn’t declare his property in San Francisco Bay Area, which is “registered under Beach Way Park LLC,” of which he is a “shareholder.”

Arroyo said his lawyer may answer questions regarding his SALN, particularly its technical aspects.

“If they have questions, they can talk to my lawyer who prepared my SALN. If they still have doubts, they can sue me,” he said.

“I have always been transparent with my SALN ever since I entered public office. I have declared everything I own there. It is self-explanatory,” the young Arroyo said. “This fact (Beach Way Park shareholder) was even attested to by the writer or the writers of the story,” he said.

“Unfortunately, either the writer or writers deliberately imposed a malicious twist on the story or they lack knowledge on the legal aspects regarding corporations,” the eldest son of President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo said.

He also said that contrary to Vera Files claims, it never sought his side on the issue.

“There is no truth to the claims of Vera Files I would not reply to their query because in the first place, they have not contacted me. Vera Files did not try to reach me as they claim to,” Arroyo said. “If they had, I would have taken time to talk to them.”

But he said he’d rather focus on “far more important things” than discuss the matter in detail.

“As much as possible, I don’t want to waste my time dealing with issues like this,” said Arroyo. “There are far more important things to do especially in helping the government find ways to lessen the effects if not bail us out of the impact of the global financial crisis,” he said.

“As chair of the House energy committee, I’m doing my share by trying to find ways to lower the power rates and fuel price or lessen the effects of any price adjustment on those vital commodities,” he stressed.

On Sunday, Vera Files said Arroyo failed to declare in his 2007 and 2008 SALN a $1.32-million or P63.7-million beachfront property in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, which he bought and transferred to his wife Angela in 2005.

The house is located at 1655 Beach Park Blvd. in Foster City in San Mateo County.

Vera Files added that while the presidential son declared a residential house in the US in his SALN for 2005 and 2006, he did not mention it in his SALN for the succeeding two years.

In defense of Mikey

Speaker Prospero Nograles defended the presidential son, saying his SALN “sufficiently showed that he and his family can afford the value of the properties subject of this issue.”

“Personally, I find this issue nitpicking in the sense that the congressman can well afford the assets attributed to him,” Nograles said.

“Besides, the SALN can be legally amended without liability if and when any oversight that is not substantial is corrected,” he added.

“This matter is not really substantial except that Mikey is the President’s eldest son. Otherwise, if he were not what he is, this issue won’t even hit the news at all,” he pointed out.