GMA's $20,000 dinner in New York

she is our president. what do you expect. do you want to see our president eat in KFC. and besides it was not her who paid the bill. it was paid by Romualdez, whoever Romualdez that was. and it is not part of the money of the people. and besides the president deserved to have that kind of dinner cause they are our symbol and representation of our country. we can't just possibly let her look like a person who is strap of cash and eating on cheap restaurants while she was on state visit on another country. after all being a president is no easy task or job. we ask too much of our president. stop making a slave out of our president. they deserved to have a better treatment cause she is a president. that is the privilege of being a president. this is not corruption. if we people really like to see poor people have place to live, i think we all do our share. if our friends and relatives need some help we do it ourselves and give them help they need so there won't any poor people in our country. she had been too much. when ERAP was president. we said he was corrupt and had him out of office. now it is gloria in seat and we want out of her office i think whoever in the position. we will still find fault and just want them out of position. there is no perfect person for the position. sometimes i wonder if we really deserve a good president. we don't treat our president well. do we.

I have not heard of that news but if that is so, could we really expect a noble act from someone who calls herself our president? I had been hurting from the many expenditures she had made from the people's money. The wound had been cut deeper by the gag order and the deception the government call rule of law. Your fight and mine is not done yet. Cory's sacrifice lives in us.

this is completely uncalled for? $20,000 is a lot of money and she is paid 50,000PHP a month. so, what she saved her money for the last 3 years just for this New York Dinner, what a crud.this is terrible.she'd better have a good explanation for eating in a experience restaurant..

Ohh my, tsk-tsk-tsk! what else can I say . Thanks for the hardship, blood ,sweat and tears of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers Abroad) that keeps on sending dollars to their family back home. In that way, the President will be able to get something out of it . I don't know but it was really a waste of our money, as they claim we are in deep neck debt. I don't see any hope it she still stays as President. This is just my opinion, I respect others opinion here.

Well, explanation was given that, the government did not paid for it but it was paid by another person as a gift for their 41st wedding anniversary. Probably we can give them the benefit of the doubt. Im also seeing good things for GMA since she has brought a difference also in our country. Wether its true or not i just hope that it did came from the Philippine funds.

I'm quite sure that such expensive activities were not done simply to spend. There are important reasons why a president would go to extremes of spending extravagantly in another country. Maybe it's not just about eating in a restaurant, but eating in a restaurant together with very important people that can help our country. Strategically, you wouldn't think of inviting someone over for a kikiam spree if you wanted that person to do you a HUGE favor. You would sweet talk that person, and maybe even treat him to a nice place so that the environment would be conducive for the two of you to talk about your concerns.

I am thoroughly disgusted over the greed of GMA. While filipinos are suffering from poverty and hunger, she decides to go on a trip and spend that much money on a single dinner. Think of how many schools she could help with that amount. Plus, we all know that with the recent onslaught of rains, many people have lost their homes due to floods. When GMA first became president, I was one of those filipinos who believed in her ability to lead our country. But as the years passed, especially now, I can see her greed and its disgusting. How I wish that the next president will have some moral fiber or as we say in tagalog, delikadesa like Cory Aquino.

Damn that small and terrible president of ours. I can't believe that she still has the guts to spend $20,000 for such a dinner in NY. How can she spend so much like that? Isn't she thinking that she is spending the peoples' taxes? This is what I hate, our government is full of corrupt people. Thats why I hate to pay taxes to the government though its part of our responsibility. I don't get any benefits for paying taxes and I don't see much improvements in our country either. I believe that nobody will mourn for her if ever she passes away in the future, unlike Cory Aquino.

Well, the government spent the people's money again .... The President is trying to spend much as her term is about to end .. lavish dinner isn't worth.. .. had that money been spent to feed Filipino people, I'm sure a thousand could have eaten already ..

Well that's f*cked up. That money could've been used for building a small school somewhere remote. Damn her and her irritating nasal voice.

Hi there. I read the article in the Baltimore sun website. The President and his entourage did not hold back when they where dining in Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan. $20,000 is approximately 955,400 pesos. It's really sad when I see the taxcut in my payslip. They did not think about the million of hungry Filipinos. They did not think about the people who put them in office.

If I can afford to go to a restaurant to eat that way,I will certainly do if I earn the money through my personal business ventures.I personally try all restaurants in the metro because I want to enjoy my life. However, in the case of Arroyo as a president who earns only about 30,000 pesos, I don't think she can explain that cash she spent.She should think about the poor who can't afford to eat thrice a day, those sick children that can't be sent to hospitals because of poverty and those who can't go to school.

It's a shame, but according to the news it was paid for by a congressman. So I guess, it's just a classic example of a free lunch. Cheers!