Maine Mendoza and husband Arjo Atayde. ARCHIVE

Actress and TV host Maine Mendoza has once again spoken up to defend her husband, Quezon City 1st District Representative Arjo Atayde, amid allegations linking him to anomalous flood control projects. In a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday (September 10), Mendoza rejected claims that their lifestyle was funded by taxpayers’ money. “Not a single part of our life has been built on taxpayers’ money. Everything we have comes from years of work and savings. We pay our taxes truthfully because we respect the same system we are accused of betraying,” she wrote. Mendoza said the accusations against Atayde, including claims that he solicited money from contractors Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, were false. She called it “personally offensive” to reduce their accomplishments to corruption narratives. “If Arjo ever did anything dishonest, if he were truly guilty, I certainly wouldn’t defend him. But accuse him of other things if you wish, not of stealing—that is one line he has never crossed, and never will,” Mendoza stressed. On resurfaced photos showing Atayde with the Discayas, she explained they were taken during a brief, unplanned meeting in 2022. Atayde also clarified during a Senate Blue Ribbon hearing that he “never dealt” with the couple. Mendoza said the public should remember “there are three sides to every story: their version, our version, and the truth.” She added, “Legal actions will be taken, and Arjo will clear his name by proving his innocence. Let’s allow due process to run its course before we condemn.” Calling the controversy “distressing,” Mendoza emphasized that the true culprits of corruption must be held accountable. “Not all politicians are corrupt—some are just convenient targets. The real villains are celebrating quietly in the shadows,” she said. CAM/Expat Media
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