During the press conference of Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo last Wednesday, he twice mispronounced my name as “Tortillas.” My friend said, ”Panelo must be hungry, he must be thinking of Mexican food.”
I know that hunger clouds the mind. My sympathies to Panelo.
In presenting that silly diagram, sillier than the April 22 matrix, Panelo gave a timeline of my commentary of the Bikoy video supposedly to support their lie that I am part of their imagined Oust Duterte plot.
This is what he said:
“What is important now is it appears from this diagram that the Liberal Party, the Magdalo and the other the groups indicated in the matrix are working hand-in-hand.
“Alright. If you will look at this, this is the development: On April 2nd, you recall that ‘Ang Totoong Narcolist Episode’ first surfaced online, on Metro Balita and it pointed to Paolo Duterte being the first major principal of the drug syndicate. And then three days later on April 5, Senator Antonio Trillanes released a statement on his official Facebook page commending the creator of the ‘Ang Totoong Narcolist’ video and commented that he’s looking forward to the next episode.
“And then on the same date, a column by Ellen Tordesillas entitled “OPINION: Battle of Narco List” was published on ABS-CBN website; and according to Tordesillas commented that the videos looked ‘professionally done’.”
Since I was impressed with the technical aspect of the Bikoy video series (it’s not amateurish like many of the home video I’ve seen), I’m part of the Oust Duterte plot? That’s stupid.
My “Battle of the Narco List” column appeared in Malaya Business Insight, ABS-CBN online , Vera Files and in my personal blog.
The column was written a few days after the President released his controversial list of local officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs. Episode one of the Bikoy series was about the alleged involvement in illegal drugs of the President’s son, former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte; the President’s son-in-law (husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio) Manases Carpio.
Bikoy even dragged the brother of Manases Carpio, Waldo Carpio, agriculture undersecretary.
Panelo should ask whoever gave him information which he used in his briefing last Wednesday to look for my column in Malaya on April 15 titled “Duterte regains upper hand in the battle of Narco lists.”
That column was written after the President’s former Special Assistant and now senatorial candidate Bong Go took off his shirt to disprove Bikoy’s allegation that he has a dragon tattoo on his back, reportedly a membership identification with the Triad, an international drug syndicate.
I believed that Go’s tattoo- free back demolished the credibility of Bikoy. I agreed with Terry Ridon, former urban poor chief of the Duterte administration, who wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Bikoy was “ Wala na, finish na.”
Same column appeared in ABS-CBN and in my personal blog on April 17, and in Vera Files on April 21.Vera Files on April 21.
****
I enjoyed the reactions and comments to Panelo’s latest Matrix.
I like best Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s put down: “May pa matrix matrix ka pa na nalalaman. Umayos ka nga Mr. Panelo.”
Allan Jimenez Cortez said I’m asking too much from Panelo “to produce evidence and not just silly diagrams. ” He said:” Ellen diagram lang ang kaya ilabas ni Sal panelo. Dun nga lang hirap na magfabricate. Pahirapan mo pa uli magfabricate ebidensya.