From saying that the matrix came from the Chief Executive, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador now said he got it through a “text” message from an unknown sender.
Panelo was referring to the matrix linking journalists and lawyers to an alleged plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Wala siyang binigay [Duterte], hindi naman siya ang nagbigay basta may nagpadala sa akin ng matrix (He did not give me anything, he was not the one who gave it to me. Someone just sent me the matrix),” the spokesman said in a press briefing on Thursday, May 2.
“Hindi ba sabi ko sa inyo may nagpadala sa akin ng text? Hindi ba pinakita ko nga sa inyo? Nasa telepono ko eh (I told you that someone sent me a text message, right? I even showed it to you right? It was on my mobile phone),” he added.
Panelo, however, said he did not know who the sender was since the number was not registered in his phone.
This is contrary to his remarks on his April 22 press briefing where he said, “The source of that is from the Office of the President, from the President himself.”
The spokesman said that his copy was blurry that is why he asked his staff to get a clearer copy from The Manila Times by taking a screenshot of the matrix from the latter’s website.
“I asked the staff, sabi ko, ‘Kumuha kayo ng ano, doon sa Manila Times medyo maliwanag para makita kung sino iyong mga pangalan (I told him, ‘Get a clearer copy from The Manila Times so that we can see the names),'” he said.
The Manila Times published an article, written by its chairman emeritus Dante Ang, on the matrix tagging the National Union of People’s Lawyers, media organizations Vera Files and Rappler, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to an alleged ouster plot against the President. It came hours before Panelo bared his copy of the diagram to the media.
The report said the media groups have allegedly planted fake news, “manipulate public emotion, touch base with the Leftist organization, enlist the support of the police and the military, then go for the ‘kill.'”
The organization linked in the supposed ouster plot had denied allegations against them and slammed Ang’s article with Rappler saying that it was “an example of how to not write an investigative report — even everyday straight news,” and NUPL stressing they are “too busy” defending and promoting human rights to “hogwash accusations.”
PCIJ, for its part, also said the story was “wrong on so many points.”
[READ: Rappler, PCIJ, NUPL slam the Manila Times’ matrix story on ‘Oust-Duterte plot’]
The managing editor of The Manila Times, Felipe “Ipe” Salvosa II also resigned from his post, two days after the article came out. Salvosa said he opposed the publication of it.