Defensor apologizes to Sara Duterte over supposed text on speakership

Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor on Wednesday apologized to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for showing to reporters a text message allegedly coming from her urging congressmen to vote whoever they like for House Speaker despite President Rodrigo Duterte's endorsement of Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano.

"I apologize to Mayor Inday Sara if I have in anyway offended her with my statement," Defensor said in a statement.

"I did not say it came from her or a congressman. In fact, I should not have shown it because reading it again it had Inday Sara’s name. I did say though that there was another person who got the same message. I apologise Ma’am if I have offended you," he added.

Sara, in a statement earlier in the day, told Defensor to "stop sowing intrigue" and name the source of the text message that supposedly came from.

The text message said Sara allegedly wanted congressmen to vote for Speaker according to their desire because her father was only "set up by greedy Cabinet members" allied with Cayetano to choose him.

Defensor said the text message was relayed to him by "newcomers" to Congress.

"The mention of the congressman was the meeting we had with the Party-list Coalition after the President's announcement. There were two party-list congressmen who discussed the Duterte Coalition’s continued fight and for us to join. I cannot name them as we have agreed on the confidentiality of our discussion," Defensor explained.

Defensor also admitted that he had been contacting Sara through her friend, Atty. Charo Munsayac, following the turn of events on the speakership which left him and many of his colleagues "confused and nonplussed."

"Again, I apologize to the good Mayor Inday Sara. I should not have shown the text with her name. It was wrong of me to drag her name unfairly on this matter," he said.

House members will formally elect the next Speaker during the opening of the session of the 18th Congress on the morning of July 22, the same day that Duterte is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address. —KBK, GMA News