Goitia urges fairness, hits ‘trial by speculation’ vs. First Lady

Civil society leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia called for fairness and sobriety amid allegations linking First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos to supposed irregularities in flood control projects, saying that “integrity should never be tainted by gossip nor condemned by speculation.”

Goitia, chairman emeritus of several civic groups including ABKD, PADER, LIPI, and FDNY, lamented that “in this age of instant outrage, people are too quick to judge and too slow to verify.” He emphasized that the First Lady, being neither a public contractor nor a government official, is being unfairly dragged into issues “without proof or factual evidence.”

He warned against what he called “a fishing expedition disguised as a crusade,” stressing that accountability must be grounded in fairness. “When an accusation is made without basis, it ceases to be a civic act and becomes political demolition,” he said.

Malacañang also described the call for an investigation by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure as a “witch hunt,” emphasizing that any probe must be based on credible, verifiable evidence — not rumors or conjecture.

Goitia further cautioned against “trial by speculation,” noting that social media outrage can destroy reputations before the truth is known. “Dragging the President’s wife into every controversy is not oversight, it is overreach,” he said, urging the public to respect due process and discern fact from innuendo.

“Scrutiny is part of democracy, but so is decency,” Goitia concluded. “We must learn to question without hatred, to investigate without prejudice, and to seek truth without destroying people along the way.” TRACY CABRERA