Statements

‘Fake News’ Binawi ng Philippine Daily Inquirer; Ping Nagpasalamat

inquirer-apology

Napatawad ko na kayo, maraming salamat sa pagtutuwid.

Ito ang tugon ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa paghingi ng paumanhin ng pahayagang Philippine Daily Inquirer sa pagsusulat ng maling balita tungkol sa kanya halos 20 taon na ang nakakalipas.

“Time heals, forgives. Thank you, Philippine Daily Inquirer for your humility and courage to admit I am not the person you said I was. Getting back my honor and dignity matters a lot to me. It is with equal humility that I accept your apology,” banggit ni Lacson sa kanyang Twitter account.

Related:
After Nearly 20 Years: Inquirer Apologizes for ‘Fake News’; Lacson Responds
Ex-ISAFP Chief Victor Corpus Apologizes to Sen. Lacson

Ayon pa sa mambabatas, dahil sa pagtatama ng naturang pahayagan sa kanilang pagkakamali ay naibalik ang nawala niyang dignidad at karangalan bilang isang lingkod-bayan at pribadong mamamayan.

Kabilang sa mga inihingi ng paumanhin at tawad ng Philippine Daily Inquirer kay Lacson ay ang mga inilathala ng dating kolumnistang si Ramon Tulfo sa kanyang kolum.

Ibinase ni Tulfo ang akusasyon na ito sa umano’y testimonya ng isang Francisco “Kit” Mateo na kalaunan, bago mamatay sa colon cancer noong 2001 ay binawi ang mga naturang salaysay.

Naglabas din ang naturang pahayagan ng balita noong 2001 na pinamagatang “Ping has $211M in the US,” base sa “intelligence report” na isinumite ng dating Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Col. Victor Corpus sa dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Noong 2017, humingi ng patawad si Corpus kay Lacson at binawi ang mga nauna niyang pahayag laban sa mambabatas at isiniwalat na tanging batayan ng kanyang intelligence report laban sa mambabatas ay ang mga kuwento ni Angelo “Ador” Mawanay na napatunayang nagsinungaling lamang sa mga pinagsasasabi.

“The Inquirer sincerely apologizes for the published articles based on testimonies of persons that turned out to be false,” saad pa sa apology ng naturang pahayagan.

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Narito ang kabuuang apology ng Inquirer, inilathala Mayo 27, 2019:

In July 2001, the Philippine Daily Inquirer published several opinion column articles of its former columnist Ramon Tulfo on then newly elected Sen. Panfilo Lacson. The articles were essentially about the alleged misdeeds of Sen. Lacson while he was an officer of the Philippine Constabulary, which were based on the confession of self-confessed hitman Francisco “Kit” Mateo, and on Sen. Lacson’s alleged multimillion-dollar account in US banks, which was based on an intelligence report submitted to then Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by then chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) Col. Victor Corpus.

The Inquirer also published in August 2001 a news report with the heading “Ping has $211M in the US,” based on the same intelligence report.

Mateo has since recanted his confession before he died of colon cancer in January 2001. In March 2017, now retired Brig. Gen. Corpus admitted that his only source for his intelligence report was Ador Mawanay, who turned out to be a fraud.

The Inquirer sincerely apologizes for the published articles based on testimonies of persons that turned out later to be false.

*****