Defensor apologizes to Sara for ‘text’ urging rejection of Cayetano

Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor shows a text message from a neophyte House member from Davao, whom Defensor refused to name, to reporters on Tuesday, July 10, 2019. The text message claims Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has given him the go signal to inform lawmakers to reject Alan Peter Cayetano’s bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. (Photo by PATHRICIA ANN V. ROXAS / INQUIRER.net0

MANILA, Philippines — Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor has apologized to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for showing a text message supposedly stating that she was urging House members to reject President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement on the speakership.

On Tuesday night, Defensor showed reporters the text message which he said was sent by a neophyte congressman from Davao who was “very close” to the presidential daughter. But the Mayor later disowned the text message, branding it as “disinformation.”

READ: ‘Not mine,’ Sara Duterte says of text urging Cayetano’s rejection

The message reads: “Hi sir! I have the go signal of Mayor Inday to publish. ‘Kaya nanawagan siya ngayon sa lahat ng mga Congressmen na bumoto ayon sa kanilang kagustuhan dahil ang kanya ama ay na set-up lamang ng mga gahaman na gabinete na kaalyado ni Cayetano.’ – Mayor Inday.”

On Wednesday, Defensor denied saying that the text came from a congressman close to Sara. He said the mention of the congressman was referring to the meeting with the party-list coalition where two party-list congressmen discussed the Duterte Coalition’s continued fight despite Duterte’s endorsement of Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as Speaker. 

The lawmaker refused to name the congressman citing confidentiality of their discussion.

READ: Sara dares solon to reveal source of alleged anti-Cayetano text

“I apologized to Mayor Inday Sara if I have in anyway offended her with my statement. I did not say it came from her or a congressman. In fact, I should not have shown it because reading it again it had Inday Sara’s name,” Defensor said in a statement.

“It was wrong of me to drag her name unfairly on this matter,” the party-list lawmaker added.

The Davao City Mayor also said it was Defensor who reached out to her through Atty. Charo Munsayac to “make last-minute requests for (Leyte) Rep. (Martin) Romualdez.” Defensor confirmed this. 

“I didn’t want to bother Atty. Charo, my lawyer and a good friend of the Mayor, as regards political concerns but the turn of events on the speakership fight has left me and many of my colleagues confused and nonplussed on the matter,” the congressman explained.

Defensor, who had been supporting Romualdez, on Tuesday, said the speakership issue was already decided, but “the reality is there are still movements.” (Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)