Roque tells Duterte supporters to spare legit journos from online attacks

Acting presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Friday asked supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte to refrain from attacking legitimate journalists, even those critical of the administration, online.

"To my DDS friends: Please leave Pia Rañada alone. Let us please not throw anything at legitimate journalists. Let's give them, particularly the critical ones, hot pandesal instead," Roque said in his Facebook page.

The statement was made after RJ Nieto, the man behind the pro-Duterte Facebook page Thinking Pinoy, asked Roque to throw a "hollow block" at Rappler reporter Pia Ranada, an accredited reporter of the Malacañang Press Corps.

"Pero sir kahit isang hollow block magbalibag naman kayo sir para ano lang pakagat lang ganoon," he told Roque during a phone interview over DWIZ's Karambola.

Roque responded that there should be a target.

"Kasi ako po, si Pia na lang po. Si Pia Ranada sir," Nieto responded.

Roque in an interview with Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson indicated that he would engage Duterte's critics in such a way that those who would throw stones at the President would get adobe bricks or hollow blocks from him.

Roque had clarified he was speaking to Uson's followers to assure them he got Duterte's back.

Ranada, meanwhile, on her social media accounts called out DWIZ for allowing Nieto to threaten a reporter on air.

"It is irrelevant if Nieto or Roque were speaking figuratively or not. A threat is a threat. It is beyond my comprehension why a radio station supposedly recognized by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas would allow a threat to be made against a fellow journalist by one of their hosts," Ranada said.

"It is an act of cowardice that has no place in the profession of journalism," she added.

Ranada said she had filed a complaint against DWIZ with the KBP.

GMA News Online is still trying to get in touch with the radio station as of posting time. —NB, GMA News