De Castro to Suarez: Don't use me to get favors from GMA

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Noli de Castro yesterday stepped up his attack on an ally of President Arroyo, who he said wants to endear himself to her to seek approval of his loan with the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines.

De Castro called Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, who is belittling his capability to succeed the President, a “sipsip” (sycophant) and “kulang sa pansin” (wanting attention).

“If he wants to get to the good side of the President, he should not use me. He should just go directly to her,” De Castro said in Filipino during his weekly radio program “Para Sa Iyo Bayan” when asked to comment on Suarez’s tirades against him.

Last Thursday, Suarez said that De Castro will have difficulty confronting the ballooning budget deficit of the country, should he assume the presidency as Mrs. Arroyo is running for representative of Pampanga’s second district.

When Suarez’s name was first mentioned, De Castro said, “Who is he? Oh, the one who footed a $15,000-dinner bill on the Arroyos’ wedding anniversary at Bobby Vans Steakhouse in New York.”

The Vice President said he did not know Suarez personally but he had read about the lawmaker’s house in Forbes Park that had been foreclosed.

“What I only know is that he has a house in North Forbes Park that was foreclosed by Metrobank and he is now applying for a P1-billion loan with DBP because he claims to have a project,” De Castro said.