Salvador Panelo to the rescue — again.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson yesterday defended the chief executive’s decision to endorse the senatorial bids of former Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos.
Yup, defending Duterte is what keeps Panelo busy.
Both Estrada and Marcos are controversial figures running in this year’s elections. Estrada is facing plunder charges at the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan and is currently out on bail. He was charged in 2014 for allegedly taking PHP183.79 million (US$3.519 million) from his Priority Development Assistance Fund when he was still serving as a senator.
But this isn’t the first time Estrada faced plunder charges. In 2007, the Sandiganbayan acquitted him from the same charge.
Governor Marcos meanwhile is the eldest daughter of former President Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator who declared martial law and ran a government known for its corruption and human rights violations.
Earlier this year, she earned the ire of netizens when she said that victims of martial law should just “move on” from what happened to them.
Despite these issues, Duterte still endorsed the two. Enter Panelo.
Panelo said that it was fine for the president to endorse them because anyway, it will be the public who will decide if they will vote for them.
He told reporters in a press conference: “Filipino people trust this man (Duterte). They are confident and believe in his judgment and ultimately it’s the people who will decide anyway.”
Nevermind that Estrada is currently facing corruption charges. Panelo said he hasn’t been convicted anyway.
He told the media: “Number one, former Senator Estrada is charged with corruption. The Constitution says, unless you are convicted with [the] final judgment, you are presumed innocent. So the presumption is Estrada is innocent.”
“Number two, he’s been granted bail. The reason for the court’s grant of provisional liberty is anchored on the fact that the evidence of guilt is not strong. So you cannot begrudge the President for endorsing a man who is presumed to be innocent under the law,” Panelo added.
As for Marcos, Duterte endorsed her because the president owed a lot to her. Panelo said it’s a case of utang na loob, which means “debt of gratitude.”
It’s a Filipino trait where a person is obligated to pay back another whom he owes something to. Paying back doesn’t necessarily involve giving them money — it could be supporting them in their endeavors, like what Duterte is doing for Marcos.
Panelo told the press: “According to the President, he is helping Imee because he is indebted to her. Because she’s one of two governors, who helped him in the [2016 presidential] campaign. I think the reason is utang na loob.”
The spokesperson defended his boss further by saying that Marcos hasn’t been charged with corruption.
“In the first place, Imee is not charged [with corruption]…She hasn’t been charged with a crime,” he said.
However, the Ombudsman is currently investigating Marcos for the alleged misuse of taxes in Ilocos Norte.
Duterte’s endorsement just might work for Estrada and Marcos. According to a survey taken in December, respondents are likely to vote for them in this year’s elections.
