MALACAÑANG clarified Friday, May 10, that Filipino Olympian Hidilyn Diaz and television host Gretchen Ho are not part of the supposed plot by the opposition to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a chance interview, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo cleared Diaz and Ho's names.
"Pinakita pero hindi ibig sabihin involved si Gretchen Ho saka si Ms. Diaz (Their names were shown but that doesn't mean that Gretchen Ho and Ms. Diaz are involved)," the Palace official said.
Ho and Diaz were included in the broader "Oust Duterte" matrix released by Panelo on Wednesday, May 8.
Panelo explained that the two personalities were included in one of the matrices to show that Rodel Jayme, the web developer arrested due to the series of videos linking Duterte's family to illegal drugs, follows Ho and Diaz on social media.
"The diagram contained in said slide includes other accounts Mr. Jayme is actively following, to visualize his character, as well his political and social interests. It is in this context that the names of Mses. Ho and Diaz appeared," he said.
He made it clear that he never mentioned during the press briefing on Wednesday that Diaz and Ho were part of the ouster plot against Duterte.
"It is unfortunate that some media outfits have put a spin on the Oust Duterte Matrix by instantly assuming and zeroing in on the supposed inclusion or participation of certain personalities namely, Gretchen Ho and Hidilyn Diaz," the Palace official said in a statement.
"The issue at hand is a Powerpoint slide, entitled 'Rodel Jayme of Metro Balita,' showing the registered Facebook account or profile of Rodel Jayme. Just by the obvious title of the slide, one can deduce that the subject of its concern is the person of Mr. Jayme," he added.
Diaz and Ho have since denied participation in an alleged plot to discredit the President. (SunStar Philippines)