The Philippine Online Chronicles

Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo's Tuesday interview on GMA 7’s “Unang Hirit” has raised more questions than answers about the presidential son's personal wealth.

The Pampanga representative's wealth became the subject of intrigue following a Vera Files expose featuring a P64 million house near San Francisco that he did not report in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

“It has never been adequately explained how in just three years, from 2002 to 2005, Mikey increased his net worth by P71.9 million, or from P5 million to P76.9 million,” Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño told GMA News. “And then in 2009, this further increased to P99 million. Definitely, he could not have amassed such wealth on his salary as a public official.”

On Unang Hirit, Arroyo said that a significant amount of his wealth came from wedding gifts and campaign contributions for his electoral bid.

Opposition Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano however, pointed out that “even small gifts aren't allowed for public officials.”

“Pero kung sinasabi niyang substantial ang itinaas ng kaniyang kayamanan dahil dito, dapat ni-report ito, makikita natin kung legal o hindi [But if he says that his wealth was substantially added to because of those, he should have reported it so we could see if it was legal or not].”

Clips of the interview were uploaded to Youtube where they triggered outrage in the comments section.

User asakapabest asked, “Sinong maniniwala sa kanyang explanation? The real question is papano at saan niya kinuha ang kayamanan niya ngayon [Who would believe his explanation? The real question is how and where he got his wealth now]?”

“He's really lying because he does not have a straight answer to the hosts' questions!” commented wakitbuscas. “He can't even explain very well how he was having income to acquire such an asset!”