MANILA – One of the two lawmaker-sons of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has confirmed that he is not out yet from the congressional race in the coming May 10 elections.
Congressman Juan Miguel “Mikey†Arroyo disclosed that he is seriously considering offers from several party list groups, which he did not name, to include him as one of their candidates in the polls.
Mikey earlier volunteered to give way to his mother who is running for the legislative district in the House of Representatives in their home province of Pampanga province in Central Luzon when she steps down from Malacanang on June 30
Mikey explained he was giving up his political ambition to run for his third and final term in the House in May and instead withdrew from the race in favor of his mother.
But in a sudden twist, Mikey disclosed he could be back at the House as a party list representative.
If he agrees, he could become the fifth member of their family to serve in the House, including his mother who is heavily favored to win in Pampanga.
The other three Arroyos in the House are his reelectionist brother Congressman Diosdado Arroyo of Camarines Sur province in the Bicol Region, his uncle Congressman Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental province in the Visayas, and aunt Congresswoman Maria Lourdes Arroyo, who also represents a party list group in the House, which aims to protect the interests of market stallholders and vendors.
Under the 1986 Constitution, party list groups are a political innovation designed to give a voice to as well as protect and promote the interests of the marginalized sectors of society in the House.
As defined, marginalized sectors who are “underrepresented in Congress include, among others, teachers, farmers, retired soldiers and policemen, war veterans as well as pensioners and senior citizens, age 60 and over.
There are 55 party list seats at stake in the House in the May 10 elections.
In this light, Congressman Teodoro Casino of the militant party list group “Bayan Muna†(Country First) assailed Mikey’s announcement, saying the President’s son could not run in May because he does not belong to the marginalized sector of society.
“Mikey is by no stretch of imagination marginalized or underrepresented,†Casino pointed out in a strongly worded text message to Congress reporters. “He is the son of the President, for god’s sake. He’s so shameless.â€
Casino also said he would petition the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Mikey if he formalizes his bid to run as a party list representative.
It was also the Comelec which rejected at least two petitions to disqualify the President and instead allowed her to run for Congress, saying there is no law which bans her from seeking a lower elective position, like member of the House, in May.
Mikey and his brother, Diosdado, are multimillionaires and considered among the richest members of the House, based on their statements of assets, liabilities and networth (Salns) which they submitted to the House secretariat as of 2008.
In 2009, the two were also reported to have purchased residential and condominium units located in posh districts in California.
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