MANILA, Philippines - Former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo accused President Aquino yesterday of using former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to campaign for pro-administration senatorial candidates.

In a telephone interview, Arroyo said Filipinos are fed up with Aquino using the Pampanga lawmaker as a whipping girl.

“My wife is not a campaign platform,” he said. “He’s just covering up for his inefficiency and failures. It’s been three years already and up to now, the only thing he knows is to hit my ailing wife.”

Arroyo said the economic growth Malacañang has trumpeted remains hollow. Unemployment and poverty, as well as criminality, remain high and foreign direct investments are low compared with neighboring countries, he added.

Malacañang is bent on persecuting the former president and detaining her without sufficient evidence, Arroyo said.

At the Liberal Party (LP) proclamation rally at Plaza Miranda on Tuesday night, Aquino told the crowd that they must not vote for senatorial candidates identified with Mrs. Arroyo.

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary-general Toby Tiangco said yesterday former allies of Mrs. Arroyo, who are now LP members, are using her in the campaign.

“I just want to remind them that in 2004 elections, they were close allies of GMA,” he said.

“We never use the GMA issue. What we tell the public are our platforms and the things that were done by Vice President Jejomar Binay.” – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Michael Punongbayan