Lawyers Edwin Lacierda and Abigail Valte denied on Wednesday accusations that they are behind the “Silent No More” blog that tagged seven senators as “Malacañang Dogs in Senate.”
Lacierda and Valte were former spokesperson and deputy spokesperson of former President Benigno Aquino III, respectively.
The two former Malacañang officials categorically denied that they “own, write for or contribute to” the said blog.
It can be recalled that the “Silent No More” posted a blog bashing seven senators for not signing a resolution against the spate of killings in the country.
READ: Senators cry foul over blog posts branding them as ‘Palace dogs’
Lacierda said a certain Mark Lopez has tagged him as affiliated with the blog. He later called on Lopez to explain everything before the senators why his name and the names of other personalities including Valte, were involved in the contents of the controversial blog.
But Lopez said he did not directly accuse Lacierda and Valte, noting that he was just asking if they were involved with the blog’s content. Lopez also claimed the report he received was not verified.
“I did not categorically accuse those persons that they were the ones behind (the blog). I was just asking too. It is not verified,” Lopez said during the Senate committee on public information and mass media hearing on fake news.
Former Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC
Valte, on the other hand, challenged Lopez to “produce unequivocal evidence” to prove his claims when he mentioned several names as behind the blog.
“You’re entitled to your own opinion but you cannot be entitled to your own facts,” said Valte.
Lacierda and Valte also denied hiring Edward “Cocoy” Dayao, the blogger who was tagged as the administrator of the “Silent No More” blog. Dayao was identified by another blogger Rey Joseph Nieto of “Thinking Pinoy” blog as behind the “Silent No More” blog.
The seven senators who were criticized by the article in “Silent No More” blog are Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Manny Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Gregorio Honasan II.
Most of the senators mentioned in the blog vented their ire during the Senate hearing for getting bashed on social media because of Senate Resolution 516, which they claimed they would have signed had it reached them. /jpv
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