Iggy Arroyo dies in London

MANILA, Philippines - Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo suffered a heart attack and died in a London hospital where he was undergoing treatment for cirrhosis of the liver, his elder brother and his chief of staff said yesterday.

Former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo and congressional chief of staff Edgar Ruado in separate interviews said the 60-year-old lawmaker died at The London Clinic after suffering from cardiac arrest shortly after midnight Thursday local time.

The incident caused some confusion early yesterday as initial news reports (not in The STAR) indicated that Iggy was officially pronounced dead.

His elder brother earlier in the day confirmed that he was officially pronounced dead but a few hours later clarified that he was still on life support.

Ruado shortly after lunch also clarified that the lawmaker was not yet officially pronounced dead.

At 12:55 p.m., the flag at the House of Representatives was flown at half-mast. As the clarification from Arroyo’s office was relayed to the Office of the House Secretary-General, the flag was raised to topmast at around 2:30 p.m.

“We’re very, very saddened,” Arroyo, the elder brother, told The STAR in a telephone interview.

“At first, I could not understand what she was saying because she was sobbing,” he said, referring to Grace Ibuna, his brother’s companion, who called him up from London hospital.

Mike said his wife, former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, was also saddened after being told her brother-in-law had passed.

Mike said Ibuna rushed his brother to the hospital after he had a heart attack and became unconscious in the rented apartment where they were staying. While in the emergency room, Iggy went into a coma, he said.

He said he was informed by Ibuna that a decision would be made to disconnect Iggy from the life support system “in a few hours.”

The lawmaker left for London last October to seek treatment for his liver ailment. He had been seeking “alternative treatment” for his condition and it appeared that it was working, Ruado said.

The congressional staff, however, said the lawmaker had suffered loss of appetite and some blood problems the past days.

Ruado said his eldest daughter Bianca would go to London from the United States. Another daughter, Dina, was seeking clearance from doctors to leave the country for London as she just gave birth.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, head of a panel investigating corruption charges against the Arroyos, said in a statement last night that he lamented the news of Iggy’s death.

“It is lamentable that this has to happen, considering all the things that the Arroyo family has been going through from the moment that Congressman Arroyo had been diagnosed with his ailment.

Congressman Iggy Arroyo and I might have stood on different grounds in the past and both ardently fought for what each of us believe to be right, but despite these differences I want to convey my sincere condolences to the Arroyo family,” Cayetano said. –With Christina Mendez

•Timeline•

‘Jose Pidal’ controversy

August 18, 2003 Sen. Panfilo Lacson makes accusations in his first privileged speech against former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo that the latter used the false name Jose Pidal to hide tens of millions in supposedly illegal funds. Mike denies the accusation.

August 28, 2003 Ten days after Lacson’s first privileged speech, businessman Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, a younger brother of Mike, comes out and declares he is Jose Pidal, who opened the BPI account in October 1997, closed it in November 1998, reopened it later that month and closed it again in October 2000.

September 1, 2003 Lacson delivers his second Incredible Hulk privileged speech exposing the existence of Jose Pidal account.

September 8, 2003 While Iggy admitted that he is Jose Pidal during his Senate appearance, he refuses to answer vital questions about his finances invoking his right to privacy at least 20 times. He even refuses to sign as Jose Pidal, an act he earlier did before television cameras and in submitting specimen signatures to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory which found that his handwriting as Jose Pidal and Ignacio Arroyo had similarities.

October 21, 2003 The Senate committee signed by eight of the 15 members rule that Iggy cannot continue to invoke his right to privacy.

May 10, 2004 Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, Iggy wins his first term as a congressman, defeating then incumbent Jose Apolinario Lozada, who he edged out as the official administration candidate.

June 9, 2005 Sandra Cam, a self-confessed bagwoman, tells the Senate that Mike is the real owner of the Jose Pidal secret bank account and not Iggy.

The Senate inquiry into the Jose Pidal accounts remains unresolved

July 4, 2011 Lacson vows to revive the investigation into the controversial Jose Pidal account to prove that it does not belong to Iggy.  Lacson reiterates that the Jose Pidal probe should be reopened since there was no real closure to the controversy.

August 23, 2011 Restituto Mosqueda, who was accused of providing jueteng payola (pay offs) to some members of the Arroyo family in 2005, reveals that Iggy was not the actual owner of the questioned bank accounts.

His revelation merits the revival of the Jose Pidal accounts’ investigation according to the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III.

Compiled by: Charmie Joy Pagulong, STAR Research