Duterte spokesman denies parking violation

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Incoming presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo yesterday denied that he threw his weight around and violated a no-parking regulation at the Greenhills Commercial Center in San Juan last Tuesday.

Panelo believes the netizen who reported the incident on her Facebook account is “an anti-(Rodrigo) Duterte basher” who wants to malign him.

“Nothing, however, can deter me from pursuing my job no matter the presence of such brickbats,” Panelo posted on his Facebook account. 

He dismissed the allegation as an attempt by the critic of president-elect Duterte to portray him as abusive.

“I think it’s an occupational hazard. You have many detractors and they will try to find fault in you. They will put malice in innocent incidents,” he said in an interview here.

On Sunday, a certain Clarisse Evangelista accused Panelo of violating a no-parking regulation in Greenhills and using his connection with Duterte to get away with it. The incident allegedly happened outside a drug store and a fast food chain in Shoppesville.

In her Facebook account, Evangelista said Panelo was asked by a security guard to move his car but did not budge.

“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,” Evangelista’s Facebook post read.

She said Panelo even allowed people to take selfies with him after the incident.

Panelo, however, dismissed Evangelista’s narration of events as “false” and “malicious.”

According to him, he parked his car in front of a drug store and a hamburger chain and asked a security guard if he could leave the vehicle because he wanted to buy a bottle of virgin coconut oil.

“The guard granted my request and told me that I could move the car in front of the Theater Mall parking zone so he could watch over it as soon as I bought the said item in the drugstore,” Panelo said.  

“When I stepped out of the car, some Duterte supporters asked for some selfies with me and I obliged,” he added.

Panelo said one of those who requested for a photo opportunity with him asked if he could put a Duterte sticker in the hood so that it would come out in the photo.

“After those selfies, I bought the said item at Mercury and in less than five minutes, I returned to my car and the guard guided me to park my car in front of the Theater Mall where the guards allowed other car drivers to park their cars,” he said.  

“That’s what happened. There was no such violation of any parking regulation nor was there any exhibition of any form of arrogance,” he added.