Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Wednesday said he apologized to Vice President Leni Robredo for accusing her of boarding a military aircraft to deliver relief goods in typhoon-hit Catanduanes.
Robredo earlier denied that she never boarded a C-130 plane bound for the Bicol Region while her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez asked Panelo to get his facts straight.
Panelo, however, insisted that he was not peddling fake news, but was simply fed incorrect information.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, in a separate statement, clarified Robredo did not use any military aircraft to go to Catanduanes.
“I requested the Philippine Air Force to confirm through their flight manifest and they reported that there was no instance that Vice President Robredo boarded any military aircraft in going to Catanduanes,” he said over his Counterpoint program.
However, he said there was an Air Force “Huey” helicopter that brought relief goods from the Vice President from Legazpi City, Albay to Catanduanes on Nov. 3.
Panelo said after learning about his mistake, he immediately sent a text message apologizing to Robredo.
While sorry for accusing her of boarding a military plane, Panelo said he was not apologizing for statements he made about Robredo using government resources to aid in relief efforts.
“Narinig kita kanina sa interview mo na never kang humingi ng tulong sa gobyerno. Papaano mo papasinungalingan yung dokumento galing sa [Philippine Air Force]. May log report e na 90 packages…ang weigh is mga 2000 plus pounds… Mali yung sinasabi mo na hindi mo ginagamit (I heard you in an interview saying that you never sought help from government. How will you explain documents of PAF. There’s a log report that there are 90 packages which weight 2000 plus pounds. What you’re saying that you didn’t use government resources is wrong),” he said.
He said while Robredo was free to use military planes for relief efforts, she should not have made it appear like she was the only official working.
In an interview over CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also confirmed that Robredo may use government planes and choppers for relief operations.
“I think the issue is—she can if she wants to, but I think you have to be clear about whether or not you just use a vehicle and whether or not in fact, you’re responsible for relief goods being carried by that vehicle,” Roque said.
Panelo also lamented at how Robredo failed to help correct perception that Duterte was sleeping on the job when he was actually working as well.
“Bakit di ka nag react nung marinig mo na binabanatan si Presidente dahil pinalalabas nilang hindi tumutugon sa bagyo? E samantalang alam mo naman. Alam mo VP Leni a may summit, alam mo na si Presidente nagta-trabaho (Why didn’t you react when they were criticizing the President that he wasn’t responding to the typhoon when you knew. You knew there’s a summit, you knew that the President was working),” he said.
He said Robredo acted as if she was “politicizing” the distribution of relief goods.
“Since you are reacting against any false information then necessarily kung objective ka…dapat you should have taken it on yourself na ‘Hindi totoo ‘yan. Si Presidente huwag niyo hanapin ‘yan. Nandiyan nagta-trabaho ‘yan (if you’re objective, you should have taken it on yourself that ‘That’s not true. Don’t look for the President, he’s working),” he said.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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