Arroyo in key talks as First Husband cools his heels in HK
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's political future may be hinging on meetings within her political party, but her husband Jose Miguel has decided to make himself scarce by killing time in Hong Kong again.
Sources last night confirmed that Mr Arroyo, who is known as Mike, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday, alone and travelling light. No one was told how long he would be staying in the city, they said.
Mr Arroyo's departure came a day after their eldest son, Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel 'Mikey' Arroyo, left for San Francisco, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer's website.
Mrs Arroyo's Lakas party began discussing the future of the presidency at its national directorate meeting last night at Malacanang presidential palace.
A decision is expected to be announced today.
A Malacanang insider, cabinet secretary Ricardo Saludo, said the Lakas party meeting was crucial as it 'will decide on the charter change, the term of the president, and the political issues that are now in the headlines'.
Mrs Arroyo, who is also attending the meeting, reiterated that she intended to finish her term in 2010 unless a new constitution stated otherwise.
Former president Fidel Ramos has been pressing Mrs Arroyo to end her term in 2007.
Mrs Arroyo's husband, along with his two sons, has been accused of taking payoffs from operators of an illegal lottery know as jueteng.
They deny the allegations, but to deflect criticism, Mike and Mikey have been in and out of the country. In November, the Arroyos decided it was time to settle down in Manila, but they were still taking short hops to Hong Kong.
Mr Arroyo was last in Hong Kong on December 20 to treat some 200 gold medallists of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games to a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland.
The visit came a month after he treated his wife, children and grandchildren to an early Christmas at the Magic Kingdom.
