Thursday, September 07, 2006
Petron denies bribing media
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
A TOP official of Petron Corporation denied Wednesday allegations that they are bribing media people, both in Manila and Western Visayas, by giving them P500 each daily, to contain adverse publicity against their company regarding the Guimaras oil spill.
"This is not true," stressed Jose Campos, Petron's Vice President for Sales and Marketing, in a press conference held at the L'Fisher Hotel Wednesday morning.
Reports on alleged Petron's bribery scattered in the internet via www.projectsunshine.org
The website also posted blogs alleging Petron's pleas for innocence.
But Campos said these were all baseless.
"If we are giving P500 to each of the mediaman from Manila, Bacolod and Iloilo that covers the oil spill issue, perhaps, we haven't suffered from bad publicity since the start of the oil spill on August 11, he said.
"Maybe we can offer food or sort of snacks for the media people but not basically cash," he added.
Gag order
Campos also belied reports that Petron is behind the force that pressures the National Government to implement the alleged "gag order" on the Philippine Coast Guard regarding oil spill.
"I don't think so. We can't do that. And as far as we concerned, we always see the Coast Guard on national television having statements about the spill," he said.
Bacolod Lone District Representative Monico Puentevella, in an interview over ABS-CBN-Bacolod Wednesday confirmed that President Arroyo has ordered the Coast Guard to refrain from issuing statements about the oil spill update.
Puentevella, though, won't clarify whether the President's order can be considered a gag order.
Pilferage
Meanwhile, Campos also denied speculations that M/T Solar 1 was a victim of oil pilferage prior to the incident off the island of Guimaras.
"Yes, we heard this allegation but I consider this unfounded," Campos said.
He clarified that before a tanker leaves Luzon its load is properly measured and as soon as it arrives to its port of destination.
(September 7, 2006 issue)
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