Actress-TV host Maine Mendoza has once again spoken out in defense of her husband, Quezon City 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde, after his name surfaced in the alleged anomalous flood control projects involving contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya.
In a lengthy Facebook and X post on Wednesday, September 10, Mendoza rejected accusations that their lifestyle is 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, and we pay them truthfully, because we respect the same system we are accused of betraying,” she wrote.
Mendoza emphasized that she and Atayde are financially capable of sustaining their way of life through “acting and business,” not corruption.
“It’s personally offensive to be accused of spending money that we have rightfully earned outside politics. It’s unfair to reduce everything that we are and everything that we have worked for to that single narrative,” she added.
The ‘Eat Bulaga!’ star said she would never defend her husband if he were truly guilty of dishonesty.
“Accuse him of other things if you wish, but not of stealing from people—that is one line he has never crossed, and never will,” Mendoza declared.
She also criticized how photos and stories can be taken out of context to fuel public judgment. “Perception is not always reality. Narratives can be twisted so easily, and many are quick to believe what fits their perspective,” she wrote, while maintaining that “the truth always finds its way to light.”
Mendoza further said legal actions will be pursued to clear Atayde’s name. “Arjo has nothing to hide. He has never been guilty of stealing. Not all politicians are corrupt—some are just convenient targets. The real villains are celebrating quietly in the shadows,” she said.
Atayde himself had earlier denied dealing with the Discaya couple, vowing to avail of legal remedies against what he described as false allegations.
The actor-politician, who married Mendoza in 2023, was reelected as Quezon City 1st District representative in the 2025 midterm elections.
