Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Mayor willing to talk with councilor
DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is willing to sit down and talk with Councilor Nenen Orcullo whom he earlier lambasted for falsely accusing him of playing politics in the aerial spray issue.
Duterte Monday afternoon said, "There's plenty of time to talk."
The mayor however dismissed Orcullo's claim that somebody is just sewing intrigues between them to stir up a fight through a report coming from a local daily (not Sun.Star Davao).
Duterte insinuated that he would not raise howl over an unconfirmed report.
"Did you hear me saying despotic?" Duterte blurted.
Duterte earlier advised Orcullo to "use her brain" before making any insinuations that the coming election has something to do with his decision to allow aerial spraying to continue for a few more years.
In his television program Sunday, Duterte said his decision not to ban aerial spraying immediately was a result of their investigation and consultation.
Orcullo in a text message to Sun.Star Davao denied having insinuated that Duterte's decision to allow aerial spraying is due to politics.
Apology
Orcullo meanwhile demanded a public apology from two reporters of another local daily (not Sun.Star Davao) whom she insists misquoted her and caused her to be the subject of Duterte's criticism.
In her privilege speech Tuesday at the council's session, Orcullo read aloud the letter she sent to the management of the said daily.
Orcullo apologized to the mayor for all the pressures the issue has brought him, adding that she could never do that to the mayor considering all the help that Duterte has given her.
She said Duterte is like her older brother who has also become a father figure to her sons in her widowhood.
Orcullo added she does not blame the mayor for reacting that way especially with the kind of statements that were attributed to her. Instead, Orcullo blames the writers of the issue.
One of the writers concerned said she did not have anything to do with that particular part of the story that quoted Orcullo.
The reporter admitted she has not interviewed Orcullo, thus there was no reason to write about her and that the only part she has contributed to the story were the quotes she got from Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan and Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III.
The writer said her part was more or less two to three lines, adding that her colleague wrote the rest of the story especially the one part that quoted Orcullo.
The writer added that she sees no reason to apologize because she did not do anything wrong, saying she can prove that she did not write it through the copies she sent to her editor, which are on file.
The other writer concerned has yet to give her statement. (BOT/GLP)
