Columnist apologizes for ‘little narco’ column; Trillanes accepts apology

Veteran journalist Al Pedroche has apologized for writing the newspaper column that claimed US President Donald Trump called opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as "little narco," saying that the article was meant as a laughing matter.

In his Pilipino Star Ngayon Column "Fake news inupakan ni Sen. Trillanes," Pedroche admitted that he was responsible for the "Little Narco met with Sen. Marco" article which Trillanes dismissed as fake news. 

"Ako naman talaga ang may sagutin dahil sa kolum ko lumabas ang sinabi ng isang source na tinawag na 'little narco' ni US President Trump si Sen. Antonio Trillanes, bagay na pinasinungalingan ng Senador," the columnist said.

Pedroche said that Trump, if he really said so, seems to be cracking a punchline when he played with homophones "Narco" and "Marco."

"Pero hindi ko inaabsuwelto ang sarili ko bagamat sina­sabi kong ito’y isinulat ko bilang opinion writer base sa sinabi sa akin ng isang source na pinaniniwalaan kong katiwa-tiwala," the columnist emphasized, noting that he wrote the article without accusations against Trillanes.

"Hindi ko rin sinabing totoo o hindi totoo ang pangyayari na inakala ko lang na nakatatawa ang laro sa salita ni Trump, kung sinabi niya nga na 'the little Narco met with Sen. Marco'," he said.

"Pero dahil nakasakit ako ng kalooban, masasabi ko’y mea culpa. Sorry," he added.

To recall, Trillanes also slammed RJ Nieto, who runs the blog “Thinking Pinoy,” for sharing the supposed fake news on his Facebook page.

"Binanatan din ni Trillanes ang mga kilalang bloggers na sina RJ Nieto­ at Thinking Pinoy dahil sinakyan ang kolum sa ka­nilang FB blogs at tila sineryoso nila sa halip ituring na biro," Pedroche said.

The columnist also took note that the online version of his column was immediately taken down "dahil sa hindi magandang ibinunga matapos pagpistahan ng ilang neti­zens."

"Minsan, ang kapilyuhan ng isip, kahit walang intensyong masama ay nagbubunga ng hindi inaasahang gusot. Sorry po at hindi ako perpekto," Pedroche said.

Trillanes accepts apology

In a statement, Trillanes said he accepts Pedroche's apology.

"Nag-apologize na si Mr. Al Pedroche ng Philippine Star Ngayon/philstar.com sa pagsulat nya sa kolum nya ng fake news tungkol diumano sa sinabi ni President Trump laban sa akin," the senator said.

"Tinatanggap ko ang kanyang apology at nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya sa pagtaguyod ng kanilang Code of Ethics bilang journalist," the senator added.

Trillanes also said he waits for Nieto and Mary Ann Reyes to the same.

"Ngayon, inaantay ko sina RJ Nieto a.k.a. (not) Thinking Pinoy at Ms. Mary Ann Reyes ng Philippine Star kung kailan sila mag-a-apologize sa paggamit ng parehas na fake news na ito," the senator said.

Pedroche's column was picked up by another Philippine Star columnist Mary Ann Reyes in her opinion piece "A major embarrassment," which was taken down on November 3 as the "supposed information cited in the column has been disputed by various other sources."

Duterte supporter Nieto, who runs the blog “Thinking Pinoy,” also shared the supposed report that Trump called Trillanes a 'narco' or 'drug lord' on his Facebook page. —LBG, GMA News