FG defends self, GMA in non-fiction By Aytch de la Cruz 06/16/2010

FG defends self, GMA in non-fiction

By Aytch de la Cruz 06/16/2010 First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo has turned into an author overnight as he announced yesterday the release of a 175-page book titled The First which consisted mainly of what he did for nine years in Malacañang but what caught the eye of most of those who received first copies of the book were 18 pages of the book under the chapter “Controversies: Setting the Record Straight.”  Arroyo claimed in the chapter he has been “crucified in the public eye” for years since his wife took over the nation’s helm in 2001, while detailing his charitable deeds and addressing all the controversies hurled against him and outgoing President Arroyo. The book was published by his personal charity organization, the First Gentleman Foundation Inc. (FGFI), and was launched yesterday inside Malacañang’s Ceremonial Hall to counter all allegations of corruption pressed upon him by their critics. In the final chapter devoted to fending off allegations hurled against him, Mr. Arroyo claimed that all the issues reported by the media based on the statements of his regular critics were “baseless,  politically-motivated, and are meant to discredit him to erode public confidence in the President.” Issues such as the use of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds for campaign purposes (2001), Jose Pidal expose (2003), the multiple libel suits filed against members of the media (2004), the Jueteng payola (2005), the Hello Garci vote-rigging scandal (2005), the use of the expensive Las Vegas suite during the Manny Pacquiao fight (2005), his multi-million dollar bank accounts (2006), the Fertilizer Fund Scam (2006), the National Broadband Network (NBN)-ZTE anomaly (2006), the allegations on his fake heart ailment and money laundering (2008), the World Bank projects scandal (2009), and many other controversies were chronicled in the book but all explaining the side of the First Gentleman..... MORE     Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100616hed3.html

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