FAKE. The viral meme on social media on Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo’s supposed remarks about the 2022 national and local elections. Panelo on Friday (March 26, 2021) slammed the “fakers” behind the bogus media card, saying he would never issue statements that would “make a mockery” of the country’s electoral process. (Photo from Secretary Panelo)
MANILA – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Friday slammed the viral meme on social media on his supposed remarks about the 2022 national and local elections.
In a statement, he warned the public against a fake media card circulating on social media, attributing to him a remark about President Rodrigo Duterte’s possible pairing either with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, or his former long-time aide, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, in next year’s elections.
“The meme essentially says that these personalities do not need the vote of the constituents of Luzon in order to win the presidency and vice presidency, respectively, as it even makes it appear that this representation is willing to put a wager that those who will be elected to these positions will surely hail from Mindanao,” Panelo said.
He also denied claiming that he would emerge as the “Top 1” senatorial candidate in 2022 and that his fellow Cabinet secretaries, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, would claim the second and third spots, respectively.
“(It) is outrageous as I never even said that I would run for a senatorial seat. Moreover, such a pompous and self-serving statement is out of character,” Panelo said.
He said he would never issue statements that may tend to “make a mockery” of the country’s electoral process or “rob it of its dignity by subjecting its results to a bet.”
Panelo slammed the “fakers” who are behind the disinformation to “deceive those who are gullible to these types of materials despite its obvious falsity.”
“Hence, to be categorical, the remarks contained in the meme were never uttered by this representation,” he said.
Panelo said the meme could be considered as “an admission of truth” that a Duterte-Duterte or Go-Duterte tandem would be “unstoppable.”
He has joined the calls of administration allies for Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 with either Sara or Go as his possible running mate.
“These fakers(’) attempt at discrediting me is an admission that I have been effective in enlightening the people on the false narratives of the critics, members of the opposition, and other detractors against (President Duterte) and his administration, as well as demolishing the baseless, outright fake, and destructive criticisms by the Duterte bashers,” Panelo said.
He, nevertheless, said the final decision would lie in the hands of Filipino voters.
“Ultimately, we let the sovereign Filipino people decide their own fate. After all, the Presidency is a matter of destiny,” he added. (PNA)
