What We Know About Maine Mendoza and Arjo Atayde's "Official" Europe Trip
It's a personal trip, said Maine.
(SPOT.ph) Celebrity couple Maine Mendoza and Arjo Atayde is generating social media buzz this week not for their star-studded wedding, but for their Europe trip that's reportedly part of the Atayde's "official" duties as lawmaker.
The couple, who tied the knot on July 28 in Baguio City, is heading to Switzerland, where Atayde—also Quezon City's First District Representative—will attend the 76th Locarno Film Festival for his film Topakk. The August 5 to 27 international trip will also take him to Italy and Greece.
Several news outlets, including INQUIRER.net, PhilStar.com, and Manila Times, reported the trip as "official," citing the actor-politician's role as vice chairperson of the Special Committee in the Congress on Creative Industry and Performing Arts, without mentioning if the trip is government or personally funded.
During his trip abroad, Atayde will also be working remotely for his district, reports said.
Also read: 10 Funny Tweets From Maine Mendoza That We Can All Relate To
What Maine Mendoza has to say about the controversial Europe trip
The actress, famous for her stint as Yaya Dub in an Eat Bulaga segment, reacted to INQUIRER.net's story and called it "misleading and false."
"Huh? Fake news na naman. This seems to be written by an uninformed and privy writer. The headline is misleading and FALSE," she said in a now-deleted tweet as screenshot by Inquirer.
"Arjo will go to Locarno as his film is part of the Locarno film fest. Our PERSONAL trip after that is at PERSONAL expense.. out of our OWN pockets."
When INQUIRER.net released another post saying it "stands by" its story, Mendoza tweeted this:
"The article is still misleading and lacking context. It insinuates that this trip is at government expense. There are two kinds of 'official' travels and I hope you include that in your article and where this trip falls under. I will probably be asked to delete this again but I shall say it again one last time, EVERYTHING is at PERSONAL EXPENSE. 100%. No government funds will be used. Hope you can insert that somewhere in your article. Salamat."
INQUIRER.net said its article is based on the statement released by Atayde's office, and that "nowhere in our articles was it insinuated that government money was involved in their travel."
"INQUIRER.net is standing by the story, as this is backed by documents, and obtained from highly-placed sources. It is also not inclined to disclose its sources. A document secured by INQUIRER.net, however, was clear on the destinations covered by the 'official trip.'"
Also read: Arjo Atayde, Filming in Baguio, and Alleged Breach of Protocols: A Short History
What we know so far about the "official" trip
While it was tagged as "official", it wasn't immediately known who will fund the trip. PhilStar.com reported that Atayde has an "official travel authority" allowing him to fly to Europe at no cost to the government.
The travel authority reportedly signed by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said Atayde will represent the Philippines in the Topakk screening at the film fest.
Topakk stars Atayde, Julia Montes, Sid Lucero, Enchong Dee, Kokoy de Santos, and Paolo Paraiso; and is directed by Richard Somes. The film description reads:
"Discharged from the army due to post-traumatic stress disorder, Miguel gets embroiled in a different kind of war when a drug peddler seeks his protection against a vigilante death squad. All the while he must confront his own demons in order to earn his redemption."
The 2023 Locarno International Film Festival is happening from August 2 to 12.