Former Senator Bong Revilla. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Baseless. Unfounded. Untrue.
That was how Senator Francis “Kiko Pangilinan vehemently denied former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla’s allegation that the “yellows” were spending P50 million to attack and bully him on social media.
Pangilinan is president of Liberal Party and campaign manager of opposition Otso Diretso senatorial slate.
“Alam mo, kung meron kaming P50 million, mas marami kaming TV ads. Kung meron kaming ganung halaga, doon na namin dadalhin,” he said in an interview ovr ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday.
But the senator noted that advertisements of Otso Diretso bets could be seldom seen on television.
“So bakit namin gagastusin yung P50 million para sa black propaganda? We will spend it for more ads for our candidates. Marami sa aming kandidato kelangan pang makilala e,” Pangilinan said.
‘So hindi totoo yun. That is baseless, unfounded and untrue,” he added.
In a statement last Sunday, Revilla claimed receiving information about the P50 million funds allegedly from the “yellows” to be used against him.
“May mga nagpaabot sa akin, at sa totoo lang ayaw kong maniwala, na may umiikot ngayong 50 million para targetin ako,” the former senator said.
“Pero sa grabe ng mga atake galing sa mga yellow social media, hindi mahirap paniwalaan. At parang natural lang naman na ipagpatuloy nila ang paninira at fake news sa akin. Binully ako ng 6 na taon, at hanggang ngayon binu-bully nila ako,” he added.
READ: Bong Revilla: ‘Yellows’ spending P50M to bully me
Revilla, along with former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, was charged and jailed during the time of then President Benigno Aquino III over the so-called “pork barrel” scam.
Enrile and Estrada are out on bail while Revilla has been acquitted by Sandiganbayan. /cbb