President Arroyo is unlikely to get impeached over the reported extravagant dinner she recently had in an upscale restaurant in New York City, a senior Palace official said on Tuesday.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez said the President did not violate any law when she accepted an invitation of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to dine at Le Cirque restaurant last August 2, even as he lashed back at critics for “making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“There is no case here,” the former justice secretary said, referring to plans by the opposition to pursue an impeachment complaint against the President over the controversial $20,000 dinner at the Manhattan restaurant.

“You merely accepted an invitation and you did not know where the money spent came from. You have to assume the one inviting you is doing it in good faith and have enough funds to pay for that place,” he added.

Nonetheless, Gonzalez said the Palace would respect any plans of the President’s critics to bring her to court over the lavish dinner at a time when the country was facing financial woes.

He said it was up to Congress to decide whether “that is something impeachable or not.”

“I’m not personally worried about that,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also decried attempts by government detractors to exaggerate the dinner incident and noted that Romualdez, nephew of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, could easily afford such banquet for the President and her party in New York City.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde earlier said the President and her party had a simple dinner at the French restaurant and insisted that no public funds were spent in the feast.

Remonde also pointed to Romualdez, one of the richest solons at the House of Representatives, as the one who picked up the tab that the New York Post claimed reached $20,000.

The Palace official said it was impolite for him to ask the Leyte solon how much he paid for the dinner he hosted for the First Couple on the occasion of their 41st wedding anniversary last August 2.

Remonde also said there was also need to apologize for the incident, which he claimed was “not ostentatious” as reported by a US tabloid.