A tuxedo for 33 roses. President Arroyo gave her husband a tuxedo on the occasion of their 33rd wedding anniversary Thursday, while he in turn gave her 33 roses.
"I had it tailored so that he can wear that on my state visit to Malaysia next week," Mrs. Arroyo quipped during cocktail socials with reporters Friday night at Malacañang.
First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, however, was not around for the cocktails.
"He’s off to his own schedule of activities and the only time we see each other is when he comes home at night," the President said.
Mr. Arroyo has been advised by doctors to lose weight in order to ease recurring back pains due to a slipped disc after he figured in a near helicopter crash in 1998.
He returned from his medical check-up in San Francisco, California on the day of their wedding anniversary.
The President and two of her children met Mr. Arroyo at the airport at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The First Gentleman gave her as "pasalubong" (coming home gift) a bottle of Ralph Laurent perfume. He also gave her 33 roses — one for each year of marriage — for their 33rd wedding anniversary.
Three of the roses were white ones. "That means ‘I love you!’," the President explained.
She said she placed the roses at her altar of the Sacred Heart in their bedroom. The image of the Sacred Heart, she added, was the only family valuable she brought in when they moved into the Palace days after she assumed power last Jan. 20.
The First Couple celebrated their wedding anniversary with their three children, Mikey, Luli and Dato, at a private dinner at the Prince Hotel on San Marcelino street in Manila Thursday night.
But the President said she had to hurry back to Malacañang to meet with three gentleman officers waiting for her.
Philippine National Police Director General Leandro Mendoza, Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor and Army commander Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos had sought an emergency meeting with her.
She declined to discuss what they talked about, but she told reporters that she asked the three men: "Can this meeting not wait until tomorrow?"
Mrs. Arroyo also denied having told her husband to shut up during a radio interview Friday that dealt with the alleged P50 million bribe for the recall of a veto of two telecom franchise bills. – Marichu Villanueva