INQUIRER.net apologizes to Secretary Salvador Panelo

MANILA, Philippines — Inquirer.net on Friday issued an apology to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo for reporting on its social media platform that he was recommending an executive clemency for convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez.

The social media post was made on Inquirer.net’s Twitter and Facebook accounts on Sept. 3 during a hearing being conducted then by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

During the hearing, Bureau of Pardons and Parole Executive Director Reynaldo Bayang told the committee headed by Sen. Richard Gordon that Panelo had referred to them the request of the family of Sanchez to grant the former mayor of Calauan, Laguna, an executive clemency.

Panelo denied recommending or endorsing executive clemency for Sanchez, stressing that he only referred the Sanchez family request to the BPP.

Here’s the full statement of the apology:  

“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.”