MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo admitted Thursday that the “Oust Duterte” matrix he released to the media in a Palace briefing came from an unknown number.
Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte personally talked to him over the phone during the Holy Week to discuss the matrix in his next press briefing.
“Apparently, there is an ouster plot against me and there is a matrix,” Panelo quoted Duterte as saying during their phone conversation.
“He asked me to discuss it in the briefing, ‘yung matrix. Oh sinabi niya nga, ‘You touch on the matrix in your press briefing tomorrow,’” Panelo added.
He said he was then not yet aware of the said matrix.
He then revealed that he received a copy of the matrix through a message to his phone sent by an unknown number.
“Hindi ko alam kasi walang number siya. Oh, well nung nakita ko ‘yung sa Manila Times, mukhang pareho. Eto na ‘yun, wala ng iba,” he said.
Panelo, who is also Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said he “reasonably assumed” that the matrix sent to him was the one Duterte talking about because it was the same matrix The Manila Times published.
“Kinompare ko lang. This must be the same,” he said.
In his Palace briefing on April 22, Panelo said the matrix he showed to the media came “straight from the Office of the President.”
But why did he not verify the matrix?
Panelo said, “Because I believe the President when he said there is. He’s an authority. He is the Chief Executive of the land. He has unlimited sources of information.”
“I don’t have to verify what the President told me because he is the President. The President does not lie about these things,” he added. “The President does not lie on anything, on serious matters, especially it involves the work of the President. He is a very honest man.” /je