MANILA – The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said they will not be silenced despite accusations of being part of “Oust President Rodrigo Duterte” plot.
NUJP chairman Nonoy Espina denounced and dismissed the latest “Oust Duterte” matrix released by Malacañang on Wednesday as a “badly concocted fiction” meant to sow fear.
The NUJP refused to dignify the matrix presented by Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo as it “apparently expands on the earlier oust-Duterte canard and now purports to link more people and groups like us to Rodel Jayme.”
Espina assured the Filipino journalists will not be silenced. He warned the Palace against the “criminal endangerment” of the people they accuse of serious offenses without enough evidence.
“But we say let them try their worst. They cannot scare the community of independent Filipino journalists into silence,” Espina said.
Online news website Rappler fired back at the Palace for their involvement in the alleged plot.
“We’ve long moved from laughable to farce. These moves are insidious and dangerous,” Rappler said.
“As technology has proven, a lie told a million times becomes the truth. More so when it’s a concerted campaign from social media, government co-opted media, and from the podium of power, Malacañang,” it added.
“It’s clear there will be consequences if journalists keep asking questions. But independent media will not be silenced or intimidated by silly diagrams and lousy scripts,” Rappler said.
Vera Files president Ellen Tordesillas denied the allegations against her and challenged Panelo to instead present evidence to the supposed destabilization efforts against the administration.
“I deny allegations by Panelo linking me to any imagined destabilization efforts against the administration. I challenge him to present evidence, not just silly diagrams,” Tordesillas said.
Other personalities mentioned in the latest matrix took turns in issuing denials as they believed the latest antics of Malacañang aimed to discredit the opposition in the upcoming midterm elections.
“I deny being involved in efforts to destabilize the government,” said senatorial candidate Florin Hilbay. “The release of the ‘matrix 2.0’ was a desperate attempt to undermine the opposition’s groundswell in the coming elections.”
“I am not involved in any manner with the ‘Bikoy’ video,” former presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
“This government seemed to have discovered a new technology called ‘the grade school matrix’ as this is the third time it employed a matrix to refute charges against them,” added Lacierda. /PN
