Image courtesy of www.gmanetwork.com
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday expressed confidence that Inquirer.net would remove the articles online that linked him to the alleged rape of the late actress Pepsi Paloma.
"They will. Because it's fake news, it's original fake news," Sotto told reporters.
Sotto has written a letter to the news website asking that it take down three articles about the senator's alleged involvement in the move to whitewash the alleged rape case.
The articles were written by the news site's US-based columnist Rodel Rodis.
The National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) has condemned Sotto for his "brazen attempt to suppress freedom of the press and of expression."
"While we can understand the senator's discomfiture with these articles, we feel he is overstepping his bounds by zeroing in on the Inquirer.net articles," the NUJP said.
[STATEMENT] NUJP on SP Sotto’s ’request’ for @inquirerdotnet to takedown stories on Pepsi Paloma pic.twitter.com/wCUcdOYfPa— NUJP (@nujp) June 16, 2018
Sotto said that the NUJP had inadequate knowledge about the issue.
"Hindi nila alam ang story, kausapin nila Inquirer," Sotto said.
"Ibig mo bang sabihin kapag sinabi kong 'yung mga taong naninira, binabayaran, freedom of the press din 'yun? Hindi. Original fake news," he added.
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel expressed support for Sotto.
"Yes, ako I understand, sometimes it's really unfair. One feature of internet is permanence, once published online it's permanent," Pimentel said.
"There must be a way for someone who is affected by an opinion especially available in a popular website like the Inquirer," he added.
"This person should be allowed to request deletion of the said articles painting him in a negative light," Pimentel said.
Rodis has posted on his Facebook account Sotto's letter asking that two articles he wrote on the senator's supposed involvement in the rape case be removed from the site.
Rodis said that it would set "a dangerous precedent" if Inquirer.net granted Sotto's request.
In a statement, Inquirer.net said Sotto had the right to make the request, "citing particularly his claims that the articles contain unverified facts and baseless allegations."
"In relation to Senator Sotto’s request, Inquirer.net has not made any decision. This is also the reason why we’ve asked Mr. Rodis to comment on the request," Inquirer.net publisher and editor in chief Abel Ulanday said.
"He has replied to us by email which we received (June 16, 2018). But his act of posting this request on social media is his own decision. Inquirer.net has nothing to do with it," he added. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News
Daming pwedeng pag tuunan ng pansin sa bayan natin yet pang sarili talaga ang unang una nyang inatupag pagka upo nya sa pwesto. Smh
ReplyDeleteKorek! Sarili talaga niya inuna
Deleteand power tripping pa si Senatong. Ginamit ang letter head ng Senate for a personal request. Unfortunately for him, it backfired and now lalo lang tumatak sa mga tao ang nagyari kay Pepsi. At yung mga hindi nakakaalam, pwes alam na ngayon hahaha
DeleteKorak! Yung image pa nya ang mas inaalala. Useless naman kasi given na na may bad reputation ang mga politiko.
Deletehindi na niya dapat ginawa yan, mas lalo lang umingay tuloy yung issue about Pepsi Paloma, kahit yung mga taong nalimutan na yun and yung mga hindi alam yun, nagising ang mga diwa about what they did.
DeleteHe may have requested for the deletion of Pepsi articles on Inquirer, but everything else stays online pa rin via Google search. The said articles have been featured in some blogs, other websites etc. It's not only sa Inquirer.
DeleteWell, he is confident because this latest move is a well-calculated one. Folks, brace yourselves, as this bully might just get what he wants. The use of the Senate President’s stationery alone is about as subtle as a gun on a table. Go figure... 🤭
DeleteThese are dangerous times, indeed. Be careful everyone. God help our beloved country.
I see what you did there 12.34, very clever.
DeleteMabura man sa Inquirer ang articles, i google mo lang ang Pepsi Paloma, thousands of links TO THE SAME ARTICLES will come up pa din. FOREVER na ang scandal na ito na nakatatak sa kanilang mga pangalan. Hindi talaga nagiisip si Sotto. He just opened a new can of worms. Ayan tuloy, mas maraming nakaalam and naging curious maski 36 years ago na nangyari ito. Takot siyang idemanda ng libel ang Inquirer kasi mas lalong maglalabasan mga baho nila. I am sure galit sa kanya ngayon families nila Vic and Joey kasi pati mga anak at apo nila ma bu bully na. Hindi ba kayo nagtataka na sobrang tahimik ni Joey and Vic through all these years? Kasi di na nila mabubura ang paghingi nila ng tawad on national television and newspapers during that time which is tantamount to admission of guilt. Ikaw kaya pagbintangan ng crime na ito, di ba dapat magalit ka at idemanda mga nag a accuse sa iyo? So bakit sila nag sorry?
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY!
DeleteWell said anon 12:19am
DeleteSaan kaya kumukuha ng kakapalan ng mukha tong taong to?? Ginagawa niyang tanga ang taong bayan! Palibhasa kasi hindi na pwedeng maungkat yung kaso at walang tetestigo.
ReplyDeleteDaming issue ng bansa, puro pansarili inaatupag niyo.
ReplyDeleteAgree na he is a big joke. Pero binoboto pa din ng mga Pilipino. Hay Pilipinas ko mahal. Gising na
Delete7:18 ramdam kita :(
DeleteThis man is a big joke.
ReplyDeleteTHE BIGGEST JOKE IN PHIL POLITICS KAMO.
DeleteSo totoo nga. Yung 'request' ni Sotto is actually an order. And he was arrogant when he said that Inquirer will take the articles down. Di ko ma-imagine na nang power-trip ang isang Escalera ng Wanbol Uni. Nakakainsulto na.
ReplyDeleteKAPALMUKS
ReplyDeleteSaan ka po kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha?
ReplyDeletehahahahaahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteInquirer, wag niyo burahin yung article about Pepsi Paloma!
ReplyDeleteI'm still clueless how he became senate president.
ReplyDeleteBaks, Kahit Senator eh Di Ko magets paano SYA binoto???
Deletemaraming bobotante
DeleteLalo nya binubuhay ang nakabaon sa limot..pepsi paloma will forever haunt his past, present and future.
ReplyDeleteActually he’s not directly involved with what happened to Pepsi, siya lang ang naglinis ng kalat nila V, J and R!
DeleteBurahin mo man lahat ng articles about dyan I’m sure di mo yan mabubura sa isip at konsensya mo.
ReplyDeleteIba pa rin kapag may article na nababasa ng lahat dahil ang isip at konsensiya mo, puwede mong ma-control.
DeleteTumfakkkkkkk
DeleteWala sya nun- isip at konsensya.
DeleteKadiri ka talaga Tito Sotto.
ReplyDeleteBakit bilis niyo mag judge? What if fake news talaga ang article kaya malakas loob niya i request na tanggalin?
ReplyDeleteKung fake news yun, demanda agad yan dahil paninirang puri yun.
Delete5:17 Bakit ngayon lang niya naisipan iclaim na fake news eh that article has been existing for years now??? Ang sabihin mo may lakas siya ng loob hindi necessarily dahil fake news but because alam niyang may power na siya as a senate president. He is trash through and through stop defending him
DeleteIkaw na lang ang nahuli sa balita.
DeleteAnon 5:17 if fake yung articles eh nagdemanda na SYA ng libel.Hindi NYA papatangalin Kung Hindi Totoo kasi ipaglalaban NYA yung katotohanan Di ba para mapahiya Mismo ang Inquirer...Eh Kasi totoo na ng public apology sina Vic at Joey at Hindi nila pwede yun burahin.Ang ginawa lang ng writer ng Inquirer eh ipaalala lang ang mga pangyayari dahil tila binubura Mismo ni Tito ang mga krimen ng kapatid NYA at kaibigan nya...
DeleteKakanta na lang ako ng Spolarium. Kahit di na ko magbasa ng article.
ReplyDeleteYou're an insult to public service, Mr. Sotto. Talagang hinintay mo pa makaupo bilang presidente ng senado bago mo gawin yang "request" mo?
ReplyDeleteIn his attempt to cover up the decades old issue, lalong nabuhay ang issue. Magsesearch lalo mga tao sino si pepsi.
ReplyDeleteSana gawan ng documentary eto , very insteresting story . With all due respect to the victim , I think someone should really try to re open this case .. very mysterious kasi ..
ReplyDeleteNo network will do that dahil alam nila pag-iinitan sila...
DeleteHow can he be so sure na aalisin ng Inquirer yung isinulat about Pepsi Paloma? Medyo scary ha, baka gamitin nya posisyon NYA para ipilit yung gusto NYA.Halimbawa Hindi Totoo ang article, bakit Hindi sila mag kaso ng libel? Ano mauungkat ang Totoo mga Baks?!
ReplyDeleteSue them for libel, senator.
ReplyDeletetakot lang niya. dapat noon pa niya ginawa kung wala siyang dapat ikatakot. Lalong mauungkat baho ng family nila.
Delete@1:22 PM - How can you sue someone for libel when they're only telling the truth?
DeleteAnon 1:22 If he sues Inquirer for libel, eh mas mauungkat ang katotohanan...lol
DeleteAng pangit dyan harap-harapang abuse of power ng nga ginagawa niyang Senate president na yan iboboto pa rin siya kung may eleksyon bukas. Bakit? Kasi sipsip kay poong digong ang loko.
ReplyDelete@4:44 PM True, baks!
ReplyDeleteO eh di sumulat ka din dapat ke mochang BWISET na reyna ng fake news at itake down din lahat!
ReplyDeleteyun pala yunv Pepsi Paloma case. now I know.
ReplyDeleteMore coverup.
ReplyDelete