Palace won't confirm, deny if Arroyo had breast implants
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 07/03/2009 4:19 PM
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MANILA - "Let the thing speak for itself."
This was what Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said when pressed by Malacañang reporters to respond to a Manila Bulletin news article about President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's alleged removal and replacement of breast silicone implants at a prestigious hospital in Muntinlupa City early this week.
"Kayong mga lalake, alam niyo naman tingnan kung ang babae nagpa-retoke. Res ipsa loquitur," Remonde told male reporters using a legal term that means "the thing speaks for itself."
He added: "Si Presidente ba mukha na iyong tipo ng babae na magpapaganun (Is the President the type of woman who would do that [breast augmentation])?"
Quoting an unidentified informant, a July 2, 2009 Manila Bulletin article said that one of the medical procedures conducted on Mrs. Arroyo during her three-day stay at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City was augmentation mammoplasty or breast enhancement.
The Manila Bulletin article added that Mrs. Arroyo was also scheduled for a lump or cyst removal from her groin area.
Who paid for it?
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, a political opposition leader, said Malacañang should disclose the real reason for Mrs. Arroyo's stay at the Asian hospital.
"Then again, there is the issue of cost to the taxpayer. The taxpayers should be told that they paid for medical procedures and not a self-quarantine as claimed by Malacañang," Binay sad.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo's self-quarantine gave her a "breathing space" from her very hectic schedule.
The President visited overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong before returning to the Philippines from her trip in Brazil.
Disrespectful
While Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile found the rumor funny, he said sensitive things like breast augmentation should not be publicly discussed.
Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokesperson, said the latest rumor about Mrs. Arroyo is "disrespectful" not only of the President but also of women with health issues.
"The issue about the President's purported medical procedures is disrespectful... As head of state, the President is fully aware that she must be transparent about her health and she is," Fajardo said in a statement. "This brand of reporting has nothing but tabloid value."
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