Another Arroyo eyeing a House seat?

Another Arroyo may be eyeing a congressional seat in next year’s elections.

Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron told reporters yesterday that there are reports in his district that Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, sister of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, is planning to run for Congress in May.

"I can confirm that she registered as a voter in my district, the fourth district of Iloilo. That has given rise to speculations that she will run and seek my seat," he said.

Biron, who belongs to the ruling Lakas party, said he is preparing for a "big fight."

Responding to a query through text from The STAR, Iggy Arroyo said he was not aware of his sister’s political plans.

"The decision is hers. But as of now, she has not informed me. Thanks for your message," he said.

If the sister of the President’s husband joins the congressional race, she would be the fourth Arroyo who would be running in the May 2007 elections.

Two Arroyos — presidential son Juan "Mikey" Miguel or and Iggy — would be seeking re-election. Mikey represents the second district of Pampanga, while Iggy is the representative of the fifth district of Negros Occidental.

Another Arroyo, youngest presidential son Diosdado, nicknamed Dato, is said to be preparing to run for the Camarines Sur seat vacated by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr.

Iggy was an obscure Arroyo until he was thrust into the limelight in late 2003 in the wake of the Jose Pidal bank account scandal.

In September that year, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo of allegedly hiding about P260 million in supposedly "dirty" money by using the false name Jose Pidal, with his secretary, Vicky Toh, and her brother Thomas as dummies. The President’s husband and the Tohs denied the accusation.

Exactly eight days after Lacson made the accusation, Iggy Arroyo came out in the open to tell the public that it was not his brother, the First Gentleman, who owned the Jose Pidal accounts.

He claimed that those accounts belonged to him. But when investigated by the Senate about the deposits, he clammed up by invoking his right to privacy more than 20 times. Senators did not believe Iggy Arroyo’s claim of ownership of the Pidal accounts.

Iggy Arroyo dislodged then incumbent Rep. Jose Apolinario Lozada as Lakas candidate in the May 2004 elections.

The First Gentleman’s brother was the second richest House member last year. He was worth P287.5 million. Biron, on the other hand, ranked fourth in terms of wealth with a net worth of P217.5 million.

Biron also revealed yesterday that actor Edu Manzano registered yesterday as a voter in Iloilo and plans to run for governor against incumbent Niel Tupas. He said he and other Iloilo representatives would support Manzano, who will run under Lakas. Tupas belongs to Sen. Franklin Drilon’s Liberal Party.

Manzano heads the Optical Media Board, a state agency. He was a Makati politician before joining the national government.

He would not be the first to pursue his political dreams by moving to Iloilo. Former Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr., who heads the Technical Skills Development Authority, suffered at least two electoral defeats in Makati before running for congressman in the second district of Iloilo, which is now represented by his wife Judy.