DAVAO CITY—Incoming presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo on Monday denied he showed some arrogance by flaunting his association with President-elect Rodrigo Duterte in a no-parking area in Greenhills, San Juan.
“There was no such violation of any parking regulation nor was there any exhibition of any form of arrogance,” Panelo said.
“Evidently, the person posting such false narration of an incident intended to put my image in a bad light and picture me as abusive.”
On Sunday, a Clarisse Oben Evangelista said in a Facebook post that Panelo had allegedly parked his car in a non-parking area in Greenhills and then showed a tarpaulin flaunting his association with Duterte.
“Earlier today, Atty. Salvador Panelo was in his car in Greenhills Shopping Center, outside Mercury and Tropical Hut Shoppesville. He was asked by the guard to move his car. He didn’t budge,” she said in Facebook.
“He later stepped out of his car, brought out a Duterte tarp which he placed on the hood, walked away leaving his car in a no-parking area. Oh, may nag pa-selfie pa,” she added, ending the post with the hashtags: “#hay #truth #thelawissomeonesfaceonatarp #yourefiredsana.”
But Panelo said he parked his car in front of Mercury Drug and Tropical Hut and sought permission from the security guard if he could leave his car for a while, explaining he wanted to buy a bottle of virgin coconut oil at Mercury Drug.
Panelo said the guard granted his request and told him he “could move the car in front of the Theater Mall parking zone.”
When he stepped out of his car, he said, “some Duterte supporters asked for some selfies” with him and he obliged.
“One of those requesting a photo with me asked if I could put a Duterte sticker on the hood so that it would come out in the photo,” he said.
After posing for the selfies, Panelo said, he bought virgin coconut oil at Mercury Drug and returned to his vehicle “in less than 5 minutes.”
He denied parking in the wrong slot, saying “the guards allowed other car drivers to park their cars there.”
“Evidently, the person posting such false narration of an incident intended to put my image in a bad light and picture me as abusive,” Panelo said.
“Obviously, too, the person is an anti-Duterte basher who converted a casual incident into a false and malicious narration of an event with the purpose of maligning my person.”