Lawyers of the First Couple on Wednesday scoffed at a report alleging that the Arroyo clan has been running several foundations since President Arroyo assumed office in 2001.

In a joint statement, Atty. Romulo Macalintal, counsel to Mrs. Arroyo, and Atty. Ruy Alberto S. Rondain, counsel to First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, branded the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) article entitled “Arroyos run horde of foundations” as a “mere opinion disguised as a report.”

“While the President and the First Gentleman welcomed investigations into anomalies in government, a spade must be called a spade,” they said in a three-page statement.

They argued that in the report, the PCIJ does not possess any data or evidence of wrongdoing committed by the Arroyos nor it has cited any specific law that may have been violated. Both Macalintal and Rondain vehemently denied that the Mrs. Arroyo and the First Gentleman are involved in Lualhati Foundation, Kasangga, Gabay, Kagabay ni Glo and Amigo Foundation.

“The President and the First Gentleman have not even heard of the GMA Foundation identified in the article. The PCIJ might have been referring to GMA, the network, not GMA, the President,” they said.