KINUMPIRMA ng Palasyo na sa Office of the President nanggaling ang sinasabing matrix kung saan sangkot umano ang ilang miyembro ng media para mapatalsik sa katungkulan si Pangulong Duterte.
Sa isang briefing, sinabi ni Presidential Spokesperson at Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo na siya dapat ang maghahayag ng nilalaman ng matrix, bagamat naunahan ng isang pahayagan sa paglalabas nito.
“The source of that is from the Office of the President, from the President himself. I don’t know how he got one. But it’s coming from the President. I talked to him the other day,” sabi ni Panelo.
Ito’y matapos ilabas ng pahayagang Manila Times ang umano’y matrix na nagpapangalan sa ilang miyembro ng media sa mga pagkilos para umano mapaalis si Duterte sa pwesto.
“You must remember that the President has so many sources, so he got this matrix from one of his sources. And I am not even surprised that there is such a plot. If you notice this has been going on, the pattern is clear – false news and then transferred to another and it circulates. So, I am not surprised at all,” dagdag ni Panelo.
Iginiit naman ni Panelo na wala namang balak ang Palasyo na kasuhan ang mga iniugnay sa matrix.
“Di ba, they’re at it already for the last how many months already or years. Pinapabayaan lang namin. We just want them to know that we know; and we want the people to know that they are on this,” ayon pa kay Panelo.
“Wala, hahayaan lang namin sila… sa ngayon ha, sa ngayon. Kasi if the plot thickens and they perform acts which are already violation of the penal laws, that’s a different story,” sabi pa ni Panelo.
Iginiit naman ni Panelo na walang dahilan para magsagawa ng loyalty check sa militar at pulis.
“Wala. The military and the police are all behind him naman eh. That’s a fact,” giit ni Panelo.
Inamin naman ni Panelo na hindi niya batid ang bansang tinutukoy ni Duterte na pinagkunan niya ng impormasyon.
“I do not know which country. If he said that, you have to ask him, himself,” paliwanag ni Panelo.
Todo tanggol din si Panelo sa ginagawang paniniktik ng ibang bansa sa mga miyembro ng media sa Pilipinas.
“Hindi, alam ninyo iyan, iyan ang tinatawag na sharing of intelligence information. That’s standard for all countries, they share intelligence information. If it affects the security of a particular country, talagang they share information,” giit ni Panelo.