Panelo cries foul over meme, says it amounts to 'defamatory imputation'

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday cried foul over a meme showing him "endorsing" senatorial candidates from the opposition for the May 13 midterm elections.

"While we understand that the post is a political meme, which is the norm in this campaign season, the same however amounts to a defamatory imputation," Panelo said in a statement sent late Thursday night.

The meme was Photoshopped from Panelo's presentation on Wednesday of a matrix showing the personalities allegedly behind a systematic attempt to discredit President Rodrigo Duterte.

Instead of the diagram, the meme — posted on the Facebook page of Malacañang Events and Catering Services on Thursday — shows the names of senatorial candidates from the opposition.

"This is nothing but false news dished out by the supporters of the political opposition which by its reckoning is headed for a resounding debacle," Panelo said.

He then urged the "purported fact-checkers of Facebook" to do their job "and at least show their impartiality."

"The attempt at maliciously misleading the voters by circulating on-line the bogus endorsement, shows that this representation has been effective in neutralising the black propaganda spread against PRRD, his family and this Administration, which the purveyors of the false news hope to succeed in impairing the credibility of the presidential spokesperson," Panelo said. —KBK, GMA News