Accused writer says he’s no propagandist of Mar Roxas – The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

DAVAO CITY – A veteran writer accused by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as a propagandist for presidential aspirant Mar Roxas has denied all accusations against him.

Philip Lustre, in his Facebook page on September 15, wrote: “The old man from Davao City could not move on. After using foul language to describe me, he again hit me today. Mukhang gigil na gigil sa akin. He has probably realized that I am just a small fry and I do not measure to his political status and national stature. That is correct and true. That’s why he has issued today a statement accusing me of being a lackey of Mar Roxas, his PR man.”

“Of course, that is not true. Roxas has his stable of PR guys; he does not need me. There are better guys, who could do the job. The spin is obvious. Because I am such a small fry, I must be working for somebody, who is big and powerful.”

Although Lustre did not identify the 70-year old Duterte in his writing, the journalist obviously was reacting to the allegations by the mayor that he was behind a black propaganda aimed at the politician.

The 70-year old Duterte, who was reported in a news article written by Lustre, as suffering from throat cancer and is the reason why the influential and tough-talking mayor announced recently that he was backing out from the presidential race.

The article, citing unnamed sources, about Duterte’s alleged throat cancer and how it affected the health of the politician. Duterte strongly denied the reports and branded the writer as a puppet of political groups.

“The former journalist, now a PR man, who wrote about my “throat cancer”, is one of the puppets of political interest groups and politicians who lust for power and the money that comes along with it. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that this PR man is promoting the candidacy of administration Presidential bet Mar Roxas,” Duterte said.

“In previous articles he wrote, he has labelled Vice President Jejomar Binay a thief, Senator Grace Poe an upstart, and called me the Philippines’ version of Cambodian monster Pol Pot and made fun of my thick Visayan accent when I speak Tagalog,” he added.

Duterte branded the report as “unfounded and malicious.” He said the article is a glaring proof of how corrupt the nation has become.

“Corruption is no longer a monopoly of politicians and those who are in government service; it has already permeated almost every fabric of the Philippine society. Greed for material gains has corrupted religious groups, the police and military, the judiciary, the prisons, and the private sector.”

“Worse, the press and media, supposed to be the conscience of our society and mirrors of who we are, have allowed themselves to be instruments in distorting the truth, all for the love of the scent of money. Painting others black in order to look white is now the name of the game in the social media, including mainstream media with pseudo-journalists writing and broadcasting lies to advance the interests of their political patrons,” Duterte further said.

Lustre, who calls himself a “small fry” compared to the powerful Duterte, said a spokesman for the politician also accused him of working for Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is running for the presidency. “So, I am working for two presidential timbers. Eh di, wow,” he said.

The journalist said he has been subjected to cyber-bullying and all forms of verbal abuse using the Internet.

“I have been threatened of physical harm by guys, who use fake accounts. I have been a victim of black propaganda too. I have been telling my netizen-friends that opinions and accusations of people using fake accounts are worthless. And they all agree.”

“All I can say is that if the situation worsens and I fall victim to any form of physical harm, you know who the culprit is. As far as I am concerned, I have to move on… In street language, marami pa akong labahin at plantsahin,” Lustre said.

Duterte’s camp replies

Peter Lavina, the spokesman of Duterte, said the writer claimed that he is being cyber-bullied and yet it was he who has been boasting that as early as last year he has been hitting the politician.

“For someone who has this horrifying past, who has spread lies and throw mud at other people, he deserves his fate to be answered back, not just by Mayor Duterte but the mayor’s many supporters and followers who want precisely to put an end to this trapo style of character assassinations in Philippine politics. The man continues with his tirades believing that the attention that is making him famous would increase his stock to his principals and exact far more than just 30 pieces of silver,” L:avina said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Lavina said if not for Lustre’s vicious lies about Duterte suffering from throat cancer, “indeed he would have been just a “small fry” probably without proper sleep every night bothered with nightmares of the fires of hell for the arson and murder that he has been reported as a suspect.”

“But small fry or big sharks like his principals, the lies must be corrected. The truth must be upheld. We should not allow their lies to prevail. We should not allow their kind to win. Equally condemnable is the yellow army cheering in the gallery. They are egging this liar to continue spurting venom in his baseless attacks on Mayor Duterte,” Lavina added.

Lavina said the writer now claims that any potential harm that may come to him is attributable to only one man.

“This is a cry of a man afraid of his own shadows. He has his debts to society even before the mayor heard of his name. He has dug his own pit a long time ago. Why should the mayor or anyone else be answerable for it? Mayor Duterte is a very responsible person, a conscientious leader. He is accountable for his own acts. But the folly of others, the mayor is neither responsible nor accountable. Mayor Duterte has only sympathy for their victims,” he said.

Lavina further said: “The writer should actually fear more his principals who are likely to do him harm to paint themselves white, and Mayor Duterte black. That is the dirty game they play.They are likely to be the culprit if something happens to him, and definitely not Mayor Duterte. The mayor’s game is change. Change for the best interests of the Filipino people. Their game is spreading lies. Lies to serve their selfish interests at the expense of the Filipino people.”

(Mindanao Examiner)

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