(Eagle News)–Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Friday, Sept. 6, rejected Inquirer.net’s apology over its social media reports on his referral of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez’s executive clemency bid to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
In rejecting the online news outfit’s apology, Panelo noted that the apology, which was published on the site early in the day, was “prefaced” with “an alleged clarification from me of what I meant in referring the letter of the daughter of Sanchez.”
The Inquirer.net full statement of apology is as follows:
“Inquirer.net apologizes for reporting on its social media platform that Secretary Salvador Panelo wrote a letter to BPP executive director Reynaldo Bayang recommending executive clemency for ex-Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez. Inquirer.net posted Secretary Panelo’s clarification upon receipt of his statement on the matter. The updated reports stated that he merely referred the request of Sanchez’s family to Bayang.”
Panelo described Inquirer.net’s apology as “unacceptable,” noting that he was not clarifying “rather I was telling the Inquirer.net that it maliciously gave a wrong meaning and adverse imputation of the performance of an act which I never did therefore besmirching my character and reputation in the process.”
“I educated it on the meaning of referral as against recommendation and endorsement as against indorsement, and thereafter demanded a public apology from it,” he said.
Panelo on Wednesday said he would sue Inquirer.net and Rappler for libel for saying he recommended Sanchez’s clemency bid to the BPP.
Panelo had said he merely referred the letter, in compliance with Section 3(f) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which penalizes a government official or employee for neglecting or refusing, without sufficient justification, to act within a reasonable time on any matter pending before him so as to obtain pecuniary or material benefit, favor his own interest or give undue advantage to or discriminate against any other party.
Rappler has stood by its story, and called Panelo’s threat merely diversionary.
