$20,000 Fine Dining and Thick Faces of Gloria Arroyo: Country is going hungry, Arroyo dines and wines in an NY resto that’s expensively classy
Photo courtesy of Lalaine (Taken from Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila)
Imagine yourself, dining at Le Cirque in New York, expensively classy, for the rich and famous, absolutely uber but apt for people who have “been there”. In fact, here’s one New York Times review said of the resto:
At Le Cirque you will indeed eat too much food, of a kind that neither your physician nor your local Greenpeace representative would endorse, in a setting of deliberate pompousness, at a sometimes ludicrous expense. The ravioli, all three of them, are $35. Source.
Yes, too much food. And if you’re one responsible official of a third world country like the Philippines who’s not thinking about the kid in the picture, where is your stomach located?!
So, when I read this news online, I puked. Another exemplary public service courtesy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the group of political doggies behind her? Commendable? One big Imeldific show off to the world of extravagance to the highest degree? And even if the said tabloid is being criticized in the US for its biased news, here comes Cerge Remonde, the press secretary saying and confirmed that is was not the tax payers money that was used to pay the $20,000 but that of the solon’s money. Huh?! Anong pinag-kaiba nun?!
Let’s go to the sidewalk muna mga ka-barrio and make talk about the hotel and not the resto muna. Do you have any idea kung gano ka-mahal sa Waldorf Astoria? If we are complaining about the $20,000 bill, what about the hotel expenses?! Nasabi saken ni La Kapitana that indeed he read on the news that the Arroyo’s stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. Di na namen makita ang link dahil sa tambak na Cory updates. But given the Waldorf Astoria and this Le Cirque… WTF?! This is the Waldorf Astoria nang mga Pinoy.
Photo credits: Simonong.net
WTF!
I partly blame the people who voted for this person and gave her the position in Malacanang. I partly blame the people who used EDSA Dos and the memory of EDSA for masking a supposed coup attempt such that these political leeches came into power. Look at what they’re doing now! Imeldific to the nth degree!
Now, to the fake EDSA Dos activists, eto ba ang sinasabi nyong leader who will truly lead our country? I don’t think so. If you say ERAP is a jueteng lord (unfortunately with poor evidence, mind you), then I can tell you na wala silang pinagkaiba.
Shame, shame, shame on them. I call shame on them thrice. How can they can eat and spend $20,000 or 960,000 pesos in a fine dine NY restaurant whom Mel Beckham told me that it is uber shushal? And the thick-faced politicos can do this while a part of our country is going hungry, is losing jobs and is losing hope that someday, a true leader would come and lead them towards the right path.
And ironically, 47% of our country is living below the poverty line and trying to survive the days under 2 freaking dollars. While most of our countrymen go hungry, you can find this one and her cohorts sipping champagne and eat caviar in a shushal NY resto.
Is she the female counterpart of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe?
Well, maybe. Both of them can blatantly have luxuries while some of their countrymen are trying to scavenge anything from the garbage dump.
And even if the bill is footed by a solon, the argument will run towards having the culture and ETHICS of a true public servant.
What I am seeing now is a government run in majority by FAKE PUBLIC SERVANTS.
So what 960,000 pesos can do to our country if its not spent on fine wine, champagne and caviar?
- It can buy new textbooks for our children
- It can buy new pistols and ammunition for some of our policemen na sila pa ang bumibili ng bala at batuta nila
- It can help build a new classroom or school buildings
- It can help finance some of our poor farmers like providing irrigation and organic pesticides
- It can help the unemployed and housewives (as well as encourage them) in microfinancing their small enterprises
- It can help in sending more scholars from the poor youth (pondo di ba)
- or the 960,000 can help in funding free meds for our people
960,000 pesos can do a lot for some of our countrymen. While for our politicos, this can be spent in just one eating bago pumunta sa libing ni Tita Cory, who is regarded for her simplicity.
Can you now see the difference?
These are La Kapitana’s updates na nabasa ko sa Ellen Tordesillas blog.
Philippines president Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (and her wine-imbibing entourage) ran up a $20,000 tab at Le Cirque the other night. Source.
And this picture of Imeldific Gloria, naharbat ko also sa blog ni Tita Ellen but this was the source.
Please visit: http://ellentordesillas.com for more reactions. This entry was in collaboration with La Kapitana.
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silver is the blogger behind Dare to Speak Out, a personal and commentary blog.She graduated with a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She posts blogs that ranges in different topics – from trivial to the political. She currently works as a freelance writer.
You bet, Reynz. A million things that $20,000 can buy to help make life a little better for the less fortunate.
Tita Ellen,
However much ang mabibili nang $20,000 is blank sa utaks nang mga yan! Hahaha! That’s why they want to push Eternal Power para they could have this forever!
sa housing industry situation ngayon sa US, ilang bahay na ang mabibili niyan dito, right reynz? lalo na yung mga foreclosed. Paano pa sa mga Pinoy, ilang libong dampa na ang mai-upgrade ng 20 Thou.
Very true, not even her government thought of an idea to do something with Tondo that spoils the look of Manila. Not even one suggested a government housing to get rid of the slum. She’s so thick faced alright wasn’t even affected by her lucrative standard compared with her supposed to be governed poor human beings. That’s why Baseco inhabitants sell kidneys to survive because no gov’t aid has been done & this blind eye attitude of corrupt gov’t just ignoring their situation until they all die I suppose.She couldn’t give a damn and when Baseco’s people earn a little bit of quid from submitting themselves to the knives, they get in and very watchful of those who are making monies because they’re just as guilty as traffickers.
Amen Tita Ellen.
Amen.
Tigas talaga ng mukha ng ibang political doggies dyan. Hmpt!
at eto namang baliw na si Gordon, no big deal daw. eto yong Senador na may i make peace sa Abu Sayaff. anong nangyayari sa utak nang Senador na to?!
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/169356/Arroyos-20K-dinner-no-big-deal-Gordon-says
that was just another uber-insensitive shit! second the motion ang gordon ki remonde
Reynz,
parang sinabi nung senator na yun na OKAY LANG DIN IPARDON ANG ABU SAYAFF AT BIGYAN NG 50K CASH.
Litsi talaga.
hahaha! at kelan ba naman hindi stupid yan si gordon. nung may US-base pa sa gapo, ang kapal ng mukha nyang sabihin: there are no prostitutes in olongapo!
huh?
hahahaha! basta di ko iboboto ang kahit sinong ang apelyido eh gordon. dynasty din mga yan sa OC.
yan yatang si remonde e paid to lie. nauulingan kasi. how pathetic these people are. nilamon na sila ng kanilang pagkagahaman. even if it is the solon’s money, they could have thought of the millions of hungry people here. paano kaya nila kinayang lunukin ang mga pagkaing kamamahal na yun? one has to be without conscience indeed.
napansin ko lang, baka dumating na naman si Charmaine, bitbit ang karatula nya, we are ready with Grammar 102 sa Thick Faces (kapalmuks) hahahaha that is, thick face versus thick faces HAHAHA
ihanda na natin ang ating tarpulin, ilagay ang mga fez at byuti natin dyan, yung ala-aiza seguera noong kuting pa syang pose.
Kelan ba nagsabi ng may substance yang paid to lie na yan?
I cant recall any single occasion.
Lustay na naman ang pera ni juan de la cruz.
http://bravedier.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-reasons-of-poverty-in-philippines.html
marami tayong kababayan ang nagugutom and then gagastos sila ng ganon kalaking halaga, sana itinulong na lang nila sa mga kapus palad, kapalan na talaga ng muks
Gusto kong umiyak. Paano kaya nasikmura ni PGMA na kumain sa mga sushal na lugar at tumira sa WA at the expense of taxpayer’s money. Dumaan ang sinakyan kong bus kanina sa isang squatter’s area sa ciudad while reading Silver’s email. I thought, yung perang ginastos nila sa Le Cirque is enough to feed the whole squatter’s area. And yes, sisihin ang mga bumoto kay PGMA noong ’04. Sinayang niyo boto nyo. ~tapon cellphone~
teka teka… $20,000??? ano to lokohan? suntukan na lang….
[based on a personal experience] tapos tapos, yung mga iskolars ng bayan eh paghihintayin niya ng matagal bago mairelis ang mga stipend and book allowances? wtf talaga!
incidentally my sister told me na I am to adopt a kid sa Sharif Kabunsuan (central mindanao) to be fed, i asked her how much, 200, yes, 200 pesos for ONE MONTH!!! Do you math kung gano karami ang pwede mong mapakain @ 200/ kid / month sa P960,000.
Again, wtf!?!
yes monique. yung dito sa sorsogon eh 150 pesos lang per monnth to make a child’s life a little better.
grabe.
Gawad Kalinga which I regularly donate to says that they could build a decent house in the Phil. for a modest sum of $2800 CDN. So the $21700 CDN would have been enough to build about 350 houses for 350 families. Yet GMA and cronies chose to spend it on one dinner alone. This makes me gag.
Imagine this:
Recent SONA, me pinakita si Gloria about this one OFW, who lost her job in Taiwan na pina-utang nila nang P50,000 pesos to start a small business that is now growin.
Can you imagine, divay-divay mo ang P1 million sa P50k kung ilang pamilya ang matutulungan nyan.
Sana malulon nila nang buo ang kutsilyo. Oo pati na mga kasamahan ni Gloria nung gabing winawaldas nila ang pera nang bayan.
we are dead, seriously.
hanggat ganyan ng ganyan ang mga politiko natin, dedbol na talaga tau.
Sana talaga magkatotoo ung balita!
Lumipat ka na pala,nag-doorbell at kinatok ko ng martilyo ang pintuan mo doon,walang nagbubukas,iyun pala ay lumipat ka na.
Ako rin lumipat ako sa malaking bahay last 2 days ago.Pasyalan mo lang ako.
Siyanga pala,mahigpit ang security guard doon—NO ID, NO ENTRY–
Paregister ka muna.Magdala ka ng kodak mo.Hehehehe!
May nakareserve kang room doon.Ayusin mo na lang.Buksan mo iyung—-MY PAGE–
Ito ang address:
http://eclarino.ning.com
maraming salamat Cocoy, nakuha ko na susi ko hehehe! ang ganda nang Makati and Baquio 2020 hahaha
Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang kaulolang reasoning na to:
Sobra sobra ba ang sweldo nung Tongressman to be able to wine and dine for $20,000 sa New York? Mga walang delicadeza! Mga opisyales nang bayan ang mga puta!
Pero ang nasagap ko sa Ellen Tordesillas was that:
Reynz,
Akala nila sa mga tao e TANGA.
Mahal na Reynz, nagtaka ka pa eh Romualdez iyan, tiga tacloban, pamangkin ni Imelda, kaya nga close sila ni GMA, it runs in the blood! Mana mana baga? Romualdez plus arroyo, kayo na ang mag add ano kalabasan! Kakainit ng ulo!
hay naku nakaka stress na talaga itong si Gloria. Maling mali ang pangalan niya sa personality niya. Pa contest ka nga Renz ano talagang dapat na name niya? “Salot” with “s”.Super eh!
Stress talaga, sobra!
Di ba nga kaya kagalang galang si Cory… dahil yung interbyu niya with Jessica Soho last year, kinuwento niya na may ale daw na nakapansin ng damit niya at narinig niyang ibinulong sa kasama, “Yun na naman ang damit niya, nasuot na niya yan.” (not the exact words but the gist is the same)
Ang sagot ni Tita Cory? “I am not the President of a rich country. I want to lead by example.”
Kailan kaya magkakaroon ng katulad niya? Si Gloria – nakakairita lang…. isa rin sa mga manglulustay… haaayyyy!!
Chuva,
Dyan sila talo ni Tita Cory. Kaya tingnan mo ang mga tao, kahit sa huling hantungan ni Tita Cory, suporta pa rin sila. Hindi siya iniiwan ng mga tao kasi nakikita nila ang mga ginagawa niya.
that was one great interview! maipasta nga yong youtube na yon dito mamaya!
Very DISRESPECTFUL of the poor among us…Really left a bitter taste to a nation grieving for the passing of a very simple woman and the simple poor na gusto nyang mamuhay ng malaya, lalo na ang kalayaan laban sa GUTOM.
Super insensitive talaga DFish. Parang si Robert Mugabe talaga ng Zimbabwe. Ugh.
well, at least nakatikim sila nang lecheng $20,000 dinner dahil wala ata nun sa impierno! puro barbecue! grrr!
yan ang dapat matikman ni gma, yang kalagayan ng batang nasa fiktyur.
subukan nya tumira sa smokey mountain ng kahit 1 linggo, di pede kumain kung di sya magkalkal ng basura maghapon at ung kikitain nya ang syang panggastos. bahay nya yari sa mga tagpi tagping karton at plastic na galing din sa basura. kung tatagal sya sa amoy don ng kahit buong araw lang suwerte kundi baka maglaslas sya ng pulso para matapos agad parusa nya.
Naku ha! pumunta nga lang sa labi ni President Cory ay nakasimangot na,pano pa kung sa iskwater yan pupunta?Baka lalong nagusot ang mukha niyan/
and i doubt Toni kung naiisip nila ang mga batang yan or ang mga squatters dun malapit sa condo ko in Pasig sa Floodway
[...] There is no record of a carinderia stopover but he just continued his escapade until he reached Haran, not on some $2o,000 per meal New York French resto. [...]
[...] Na-alala ko ang ayuff na $20,000 dinner nang mga impakto sa Le Cirque in New York! Mga kaimpaktuhan talaga [...]
weeeewww!! tsk tsk tsk!! now i believe in the saying na “ang kapatid ng magnanakaw eh ang sinungaling”… according to our beloved preksident uhm president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is that 7 out of 10 Filipinos are satisfy with their living and yet according to this article there are still 42% of our fellow Filipinos that is below the poverty line!!!! waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! JUAN DELA CRUZ kelan ka ba mag babago!!! di ka ba napapagod?? para na lang yan yung radio program na “KAILANGAN PA BANG IMEMORISE” yan?? come on!!! our ancestor fought for our freedom!!! “FOR OUR FREEDOM”!!! OUR!!!! is this what they fought for??? come on!!! when will we actually learn!! pa ulit ulit na lang eh!! parang sirang plaka!!! from erap to gloria!!! tsk tsk tsk!!!
a message from a concern citizen!!
stop the promises!!!
Nasagap kong balita… ito nga yun.
Umabot sa US$20,000 o halos P1 milyon (P960,000) ang naging bill o bayarin sa nasabing hapunan sa Le Cirque Restaurant noong Linggo ng gabi (Lunes, Agosto 3, sa Pilipinas). Ikalawang araw ito ng burol ng yumaong pangulo na sumakabilang-buhay noong Agosto 1 ng madaling-araw.
Ang marangyang hapunan ni Arroyo at ng kanyang entourage kung saan bumaha ng mamahaling alak na tila mayroong pinagdiriwang ay inilathala ng New York Post noong Agosto 7 kung saan hindi rin halos makapaniwala ang dayuhang pahayagan na kayang magwaldas ng gayong kalaking halaga sa isang hapunan lang ang lider ng isang Third World country kung saan laganap ang kagutuman.
dapat inimbitahan nya si Mugabe! mag-inuman silang dalawa!
Selebrasyon ba yun sa pagpanaw ni Tita Cory?… Ang saklap isipin habang nagluluksa ang buong pilipinas sa pagpanaw ni tita cory, at naghihirap ang bansa sa lugmok na ekonomiya. Ayun! naglulustay si Gloriliang bansot ng kaban ng bayan.
subconsciously or baka sinadya dahil alam naman nilang pumanaw na nun si Tita Cory ah!
At syemre deny to death na naman ang palasyo sa issue na ito. napanood ko nga sa gma news.tv ang pagdedeny ng alipores ni PGMA. watch this.
http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/home/46025/Palace-exec-denies-Arroyo's-20000-dinner-in-New-York
hindi nila makakayang balikwain ang news galing Amerika blue! no way! mas paniniwalaan ko pa ang tabloid news dito kesa sa announcement galing malakanyang
Naalala ko tuloy ang pinagyayabang ng representative speaker ni Arroyo noong inaporubahan ang CARP… Grabe ang yabang para ng asong ulol na naglalaway na ipamukha sa mga kritiko ni PGMA and achievement na ito….
Ito kayang $20,000 dinner ay kayang ipagyabang ng mokong na ito ngayon? Darating din ang araw nyo at matakot naman kayo sa dyos at lalo na sa tao kasi natuto na ang bayan noon panahon ni Marcos baka next time mas masahol pa ang abutin nyo dun…
Nakakapanginig sila ng kaluluwa! ang kakakapal ng fez! Ilang buhay at kabuhayan na ang maiaangat ng isang gabing paglulustay nila sa pera ng bayan? Grabe, public servant? pweh!
I hate to tell you this but I think you should maintain an objective point-of-view. You must realize that to some people a million pesos is not much. If I were to spend PHP25,000.00 treating 50 of my friends for my birthday dinner, I’m spending PHP500 per head, which is already considering it’s a special occasion. To a beggar, it is a dream. Unimaginable to think that PHP25,000 could be spent on dinner.
Many of you may not realize this, but one million pesos is just how much resturn they get on an investment for a month. I know families that never have to work because the return on their investments can buy them a luxury trip to Europe every month. Going back to GMA’s dinner, remember that she had an entourage of about 50 people. Remember that taxpayers’ money was not used to pay for it. The one who payed for the bill is one of those who as I stated earlier earns millions and millions every year. What’s PHP950,000? Plus, Le Cirque is not the most posh place to dine in New York. I can think of five other restaurants that have better food and service and that are of course, more expensive. The Petrossian for example, serves finer beluga caviar than the average sevruga caviar the president ate. Plus, they had Krug champagne which was middle-priced at USD500 per bottle. I know champagnes that can reach double that price. I guess my point is that people need to realize that there are people richer than you can imagine, so rich that what they spend in one year could be what an average man earns in a lifetime. I’ve seen this many times. When the poor or even the average man gets a glimpse of the super rich, they are struck with awe. As for President Arroyo, I guess she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadly, you must realize, that the Philippines is actually and oligarchy. The rich elite families are the de facto rulers; all these are just thank-yous for political favors that the public will never know about. Our country is like an exclusive country club. The socialites and the elitist rule and go about their business, but the poor who live just outside its premises can only peek at the luxuries that they can never experience.
Ceflius,
Bottomline is, these politicos have been HYPOCRITE AND INSENSITIVE. They dont do the talk neither walk the walk. If you are the president that tells your people to save, save and save then you are seen dining in an expensive resto, isnt that a little bit confusing?
If you are a president of a third world country, do you have the stomach to eat in a fine dine resto while some of your countrymen are going hungry? Yan ba ang ginagawa ng isang public servant? I dont think so.
How about this one: if you are the president then your congressman treats you to an expensive dinner, isnt that a little bit confusing? Kung yung gift giving nga e hindi inaallow sa public offices, considering that it is a behavior that can lead to corruption (favor system etc.) e yung magpa-treat pa kaya sa isang fine dine resto.
well tol if your asking this questions:
If you are a president of a third world country, do you have the stomach to eat in a fine dine resto while some of your countrymen are going hungry? Yan ba ang ginagawa ng isang public servant?
if your about to ask that kay ate GLORIA!! and all the politicians in the PHILIPPINES well the answer is…… BIG YESSSSSS!!!
hehehe kawawa naman tayo anu???
Silver,
That is true. Our political system is filled with treachery and deception. My mother has always said that in order to be a politician in this country, you must be two-faced. The real purpose of many politicians is to gain prestige for their families, secure their wealth and expand their influence and businesses which they prioritize over serving the public. Although there are a few that serve our country honorably.
I have seen first hand the luxurious extravagance and the squandering of money by members of the elite, including politicians. There are even more blantant examples or reckless spending and corruption. A family friend of mine, who is new to the congress made us kwento that when many of his colleagues travel to Europe on official business, such as for a conference in Geneva, they would bring their entire family. Wife, children, siblings, the whole clan. Everything charged to the government: tax payers’ money. The congressmen don’t end up going to the conference, and they get all expense paid trip to Europe! This abuse is not payed attention to because there is no media to report it. Imagine that, that is already more that USD20,000 in airfare and lodging! Public office is all about exchanging favors and getting on so-and-so’s good side. Like I said, this dinner in New York was a thank you… It is only the tip of the iceberg. Many more under the table deals are going on without the knowledge of the public. Sadly, it would be very hard to catch these politicians because they are well protected by of course, the favors they did for key entities like the police…
Correction: *paid attention
Sorry
Yes, Ceflius, we are just on the tip of the iceberg.
hahaha in this coming election, mas okay n wag nang plitan ang alagang buwaya kung ang ipapalit lng ay gutom n buwaya,
,,,, ang bansang tapat ang pamahalaan at may respato s taong bayan, kahiya hiya ang kahirapan
,,,,, pero ang bansang puro katiwalian at pangungurakot ng mga pulitiko kahiya hiya ang kayamanan
lam mo tol d lng yun eh
if you are about to question: what is your perspective goals in your country?
ang sagot: lam mo n kung anu un….
Vote CErge Remonde for President! Sabi naman ng bata sa piktyur sa taas – HUWAG NYO AKONG LOKOHIN haha…
[...] ang pagiging jet-setter nang Kandida. Of course, ang P1.2 billion na yon, plus yong milyon milyong kinain nila sa Le Cirque na feeling nila shushal sila, eh sana, natabas na tong kalye de peligro con todo de malapot de [...]
[...] pisngi ko. At mas lalo syang napamahal saken, tuloy gusto ko syang imbitahan for one candle light $20,000 dinner at Le Cirque in New York. Kaso, sa kinsenas pa ang sweldo ko at ang kalahati eh nakataya sa pahulugan. Pero, pramis, [...]
[...] guys. They couldn’t afford a $20 million dollar plate. Tsk! Tsk! [...]
Buti nga kay Arroyo ngayon wala ng corrupt. Sana..