Panelo to Hidilyn Diaz: Thank you, but I don’t understand why I must be forgiven

Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo. Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo / JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said he does not understand why he has to be forgiven by Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz over her inclusion in the alleged matrices to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

While he thanked Diaz for forgiving him, Panelo still insisted that he did not link Diaz in the oust-Duterte matrix.

READ: Hidilyn Diaz forgives Panelo over ‘oust Duterte matrix’ inclusion  

“Pinatawad na daw tayo ni Hidilyn Diaz, yung gold medalist. Hindi ko naman maintindihan bakit ako patatawarin. Sa bagay, nag-sorry naman ako sa’yo dahil nasaktan ka. O sige, salamat,” Panelo said in his talk show Counterpoint on Monday.

(Hidilyn Diaz, the gold medalist, has forgiven us. I don’t understand why I must be forgiven. Regardless, I apologized to her because she was hurt. Thank you then.)

“Pero uulitin natin ha, hindi ka isinama. Yun lang mga kontra sa administrasyon, ipinipilit na isinama ka sa oust-Duterte matrix. Hindi ka kasama doon. Masyado lang creative, masigasig yung gumawa ng matrix pati yung mga finofollow ng involved ay isinama nila,” he added.

(But I will repeat, you were not included in the matrix. Those who are against the administration are insisting I included you in the oust-Duterte matrix. You’re not included there. Those who made the matrix were just so creative that they also put the people followed on social media by the person involved.)

READ: Panelo: ‘Sorry’ for hurting Hidilyn Diaz but ‘misplaced ‘yung pain mo’ 

Panelo had explained Diaz was only in the matrix because her social media account was being followed by a certain Rodel Jayme who uploaded the viral “Ang Totoong Narco List” — videos linking the President in the illegal drug trade.

“As a Catholic and Christian, napatawad ko na po siya at masasabi ko lang na may rason bakit nangyari iyon at ito, naiuwi ko ang gold medal para sa Pilipinas,” Diaz said in an interview over the weekend.

To this, Panelo said: “O biro niyo yun, parang ako pa ngayon ang dahilan.”

(Would you look at that, it seemed like I was the reason.)

“Ibig kong sabihin, yung sufferings ng isang tao whether rightfully felt or rightfully given to you or even misplaced ang mahalaga dahil ikaw ang nagdadala e. Ito ang nagtulak kay Hidilyn na talagang magpursige upang makamtan niya yung gintong medalya, edi mabuti, nakabuti pala. We congratulate you,” Panelo further said.

(What I mean is that a person’s suffering, whether rightfully felt or rightfully given to you or even misplaced, is what’s important. This was what pushed Hidilyn to be persistent to win the gold medal. Good, it was for the better. We congratulate you.)

Diaz ended the Philippines’ drought for a gold medal in the Olympics after setting an Olympic record of a total lift of 224 kilograms and winning the women’s 55 kilograms weightlifting competition.

JPV