Manila Times' Dante Ang: I was not paid to write the matrix report

Manila Times chairman emeritus Dante  Ang said on Friday that money was not involved in his paper's publication of the alleged matrix of oust-Duterte plot linked to media and lawyers' groups. 

Ang, who is also Manila Times' publisher, said he was not paid to write the report, challenging those who have such claims to show evidence.

“Give me one proof na ako binayaran dyan sa istorya na yan," Ang told GMA News Online via phone interview.

On Monday,  Manila Times published a story reporting that  several news and lawyers' organizations were plotting to discredit President Rodrigo Duterte and destabilize the government.

"The matrix illustrates the flow of news from the source to a nexus or distributor and finally to the individual journalists for publication. It also names the journalists and organizations involved in the alleged plot to blacken the image of the President," according to the report.

Rappler earlier criticized Ang's article, saying that it is an example of "how not to write an investigative report or even a straight news." 

“Ang iba kasi, Rapper, PCIJ, NUPL, ang sinasabi one source lang daw—amatuerish. Ilang source pa ba ang kailangan mo e nanggaling na nga 'yan sa Office of the President,” Ang said.

Ang, who was appointed special envoy for international public relations by Duterte, said that The Manila Times is one of the few newspapers in the Philippines that has no special interests given that it does not have any foreign investors or big businessman supporting it.

"Qinoute ko lang yung aking matrix na nakuha," he said.

Resignation

After the story was published, Manila Times editor Felipe Salvosa II took his objection against  his boss to social media, according to Ang.

Reported on Thursday, Salvosa resigned from his job in Manila Times. However,  Ang said he asked Salvosa to do so.

“He was fired for an unethical behavior," Ang said.

He said he called Salvosa for a meeting on Tuesday after he read the editor's tweet criticizing the oust-Duterte plot matrix story that he wrote.

"Sabi ko sa kanya, kung may problema ka sa istorya, kinausap mo ko dapat  and you should have pointed out to me yung objection mo sa istorya," Ang said.

"Bakit ka naman nagtwe-tweet na nakasasama sa  sa owner tsaka sa  Manila Times," Ang said he told Salvosa.

During their conversation, Ang said he challenged Salvosa to show him evidence that he was receiving money from the Malacañang for the publication of the controversial story.

"Sabi ko sa kanya nga: You prove may PR money akong tinatangap sa Malacañang, show me . Wala akong pera dyan na tinatanggap," Ang added.

According to Ang, Salvosa told him that they should have asked for the side of the journalists and lawyers allegedly involved in the story.

"Tinawagan ko si Ellen Tordesillas," Ang said, referring to one of the journalists mentioned in the matrix, but said the paper could no longer wait for her reply.

Ang said he was forced to ask Salvosa to resign for unethical behavior.

“Ito ba ethical sa isang journalist, for that matter, na nagtratrabaho ka sa kompanya, behind my back binabanatan mo ko. Mag-resign ka muna,” Ang said. —LDF, GMA News