'Government officials must be more careful in using social networking sites'

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang conceded yesterday that government officials must be more circumspect in the use of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook in light of the incident involving Assistant Secretary Maria Carmen Mislang.

Speaking over state-run radio station dzRB, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said she was not aware of any directive from President Aquino as regards the case but it would go without saying that they should be more careful in public or even in the Internet.

“But the President did not say we should not be using Facebook or Twitter,” she said.

However, Valte said the comments of Mislang, Mr. Aquino’s speechwriter on the country’s relations with Vietnam, were personal.

“First of all, the sentiments of Assistant Secretary Mislang are her own and, of course, not the sentiment of the Philippine delegation nor of the President,” she said.

Mislang said the wine served by the Vietnamese government “sucks” and that crossing the streets of Vietnam would be an easy way to die.

Not much Vietnamese men are good-looking, she added.

Mr. Aquino was aware of the tweets and that Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang had talked to Mislang to settle the matter, Valte said.