Me, just speculating? ‘Amusing’, ‘doesn’t affect me’ – Panelo

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo downplayed as “amusing” the Inquirer column that described him as the official who “speculates” and “answers with generalities.” 

In his column published Tuesday, Inquirer columnist John Nery showed how Panelo often speculates during press briefings when asked about the position of President Rodrigo Duterte on certain issues.

Nery said Panelo “does not in fact know what the President is thinking or he has not consulted the President. He is merely anticipating what the President would say: in other words, he speculates.”

Sought for comment, Panelo, who is also President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said: “I am the spokesman and so I only say and echo what the President says.”

“If there is nothing that the President tells me about a particular issue, then there is no, nothing to express relative to any issue raised to it regarding the same,” he added. 

Asked about his feeling about the column, he said “Amusing. It doesn’t affect me. My job is to echo the President’s thoughts.”

He said he is already used to being criticized.

He even referred to Nery as “number 1 anti-Duterte.”

“Wala pa akong nabasa dun na… So I’m not surprised,” he said.

“Sanay na tayo dun sa mga ganun critics. They’re entitled to it,” he added. /kga