MANILA – Philippine President Gloria Arroyo?s husband hit out at the country?s political opposition on Tuesday for hinting that he had rented a luxury suite in Las Vegas to watch a boxing match.
Miguel Arroyo?s spokesman said they have received reports that the first gentleman ?is the person being alluded to as the man who stayed in a 20,000-dollar a night room at the MGM Grand Hotel? two weeks ago.
The allegation was ?a hallucination and a falsehood of the highest order,? Arroyo?s spokesman Jess Santos said in a statement.
House of Representatives minority leader Francis Escudero on Monday called for a probe into the allegations floated in the local press by the political opposition that a public figure had rented the hotel room to see popular Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao fight Mexican Erik Morales.
The public figure who allegedly rented the room was not named, but broad hints have been made by the opposition that it was Arroyo?s husband.
Escudero conceded that it was not illegal to rent an expensive room, but stressed that it was ?immoral? to show extreme extravagance when the Philippines is in the throes of a financial crisis.
Santos challenged ?publicity hounds and rumour-mongers? to come up with proof of the presidential husband?s involvement.
President Gloria Arroyo?s spokesman Ignacio Bunye remarked that ?it is difficult to say if this (allegation) is factual. We have to check this out.?
Corruption remains rampant in the Philippines, where two graft-stained presidents, Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada, were ousted by popular revolts in 1986 and 2001, respectively.
Estrada is in detention while being tried for allegedly plundering some 80 million dollars from state coffers. Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
