Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo lashed out at Facebook users on September 29 for a "malicious attack [on] his personality," reports the Daily Tribune.
In a text message, Arroyo did not deny that he was out shopping for alcoholic drinks on Saturday while typhoon Ondoy was ravaging Manila. He said that it was impossible for him to stop by Rustan's Katipunan in Quezon City when the street was impassable because of the flood. "My picture posted at Facebook with a caption saying I was busy shopping for wine at the height of Typhoon Ondoy is another malicious attack at my personality. It is so depressing," he said.
"On record, I was in Malacaang at that time with all my family trying to mobilize rescue and relief operations for people of Metro Manila and for my constituents in my district in Pampanga," Arroyo said.
The Tribune goes on to say that "instead of resorting to grandstanding gimmickry at his expense," according to Arroyo, "the bloggers should also busy themselves helping their countrymen who are still reeling from the effects of the worst natural calamity the country had experienced in decades."
"I hope that Facebook and other like mediums be regulated so they can never be subjected to abuse by some scrupulous people. Facebook is easily susceptible to abuses as people can easily hide their identities," he stressed.
A photo of a person alleged to be Arroyo buying liquor during the height of typhoon Ondoy was posted on websites across the Internet on Sept. 28, but has since been taken down in most sites.
