Saturday, March 24, 2007 Iggy to public, media: Have pity on my daughter Alelu By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
STRESSING that his case against his estranged wife is a domestic trouble, Representative Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo Jr. Friday appealed to the public and the media to have pity on their innocent nine-year-old daughter Alelu.
"Please be fair to my little daughter. She suffered enough," Arroyo said in a statement he issued Friday.
He said, "As you all know, Aleli Arroyo has been doing the rounds and spreading false accusations against me and my family. I am shocked that she has stooped that low. Worse, I am deeply saddened that she has used my daughter as a pawn for no other reason than to gain leverage against me."
The lawmaker, however, vowed not to engage with his wife in a public debate for their domestic troubles.
"I will maintain my dignity, and that of my family and protect whatever little privacy my daughter has left," he said, adding that, "I will protect my daughter even at the cost of my own life. I would never, ever, do anything that would even remotely endanger her well-being."
Despite this, Judge Rosalina L. Luna Pison of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 107 (where the civil case was lodged) ordered Arroyo to stay away from his wife, daughter, and other household members as part of the 30-day temporary protection order given to Mrs. Arroyo.
Judge Pison also gave three specific prohibitions for the lawmaker to follow.
Representative Arroyo is: (1) Prohibited from "threatening to commit or committing personally or through another any of the acts...or any act of violence against his wife and daughter and household members; (2) Barred from harassing annoying, telephoning, contacting or communicating in any form with his wife and daughter at their residence at La Vista Subdivision, Quezon City, the child's school or his wife's place of employment; and (3) Ordered to absolutely desist and refrain from imposing any restraint on the personal liberty of his wife and from taking from (her) custody and care of the child.
The judge's order came after Mrs. Arroyo claimed that some armed men are seen tailing her lately.
She suspected that these are members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) knowing that this is not remote considering her husband belongs to the most influential and powerful family in the country.
The couple had split sometime in February last year.
Mrs. Arroyo claimed her husband, youngest brother of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, has a mistress named Grace Ibuna.
The lawmaker, however, said for the record, "I categorically deny the lies that Aleli has been spreading against me and my family.
"I will not comment beyond that because these issues are now in court. But please have pity on my daughter," he appealed. "It's bad enough that she (Alelu) cannot see me because of the devious acts of her mother."
He also said that he reminded Aleli that under the very law that she invoked, all the records in this case are to be treated with confidentiality.
"You will note that when I filed the case you (media) did not even hear about it. By contrast, Aleli has made a circus out of this otherwise sad affair for obvious reasons," said Arroyo.
Though, he stressed they will continue to seek the Courts' fair resolution of all their domestic issues, specifically custody over his daughter.
Improper
The congressman, on the hand, has found an ally in the person of La Castellana Mayor Enrico Elumba.
In a phone interview Friday night, Elumba said, "I believe that the case of Congressman Arroyo is not proper to be discussed in public."
Although, he is a congressman the case with his wife is very domestic that needs to be kept private, explained the La Castellana mayor.
Elumba is the only mayor in Arroyo's 5th District that is braved to issue a comment on the matter.
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