Newspaper managing editor quits over ‘matrix’ story

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Times managing editor Felipe Salvosa II has resigned over a story that linked journalists and lawyers to a supposed ouster plot against President Duterte.

“I felt I had to resign after the publication of the ‘matrix’ story. You could say it was the last straw,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Salvosa, also head of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) journalism program, said he was told to resign after criticizing the story on his social media accounts.

“I told the owners I was planning on resigning anyway. I am grateful to my boss Klink Ang for giving me the opportunity to work for him,” he said, referring to Times chief executive officer and executive editor Dante Francis “Klink” Ang II.

Salvosa’s resignation stemmed from the exclusive story written by Times chairman emeritus Dante Ang, Klink’s father, regarding a matrix of those supposedly involved in an ouster plot against Duterte.

The elder Ang is also Duterte’s special envoy for international public relations.

Citing a source at the Office of the President, the story claimed that members of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and media organizations Rappler, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and Vera Files are behind a plot to oust the President.

Malacañang confirmed the matrix, saying it came from an intelligence report from a foreign country but did not provide details.

The groups tagged in the matrix denied the allegations, with NUPL describing the report as “rubbish” and Rappler saying the Times story “is an example on how not to write an investigative report.”

Vera Files president Ellen Tordesillas said the matrix is downright false and hilarious, while PCIJ said it is wrong on so many points, noting that five of the people included in it are no longer working for them.

Salvosa earlier slammed the publication of the story, saying on Twitter that “a diagram is by no means an evidence of ‘destabilization’ or an ‘ouster plot.’”

“It is a very huge stretch for anyone to accuse PCIJ, Vera Files and Rappler of actively plotting to unseat the President. I know people there and they are not coup plotters,” he added.

“In UST journalism, we always tell students that our number one obligation is to the truth. I felt sincerely that I needed to uphold that principle now more than ever,” Salvosa told UST’s student publication The Varsitarian following his resignation.

‘Behaved unethically’

The younger Ang, however, clarified that Salvosa did not resign but was asked to do so by the management following the latter’s online posts regarding his sentiments over the “matrix” story.

“He behaved unethically when he posted a statement on social media without first notifying or clarifying with our chairman emeritus, Dr. Dante A. Ang, the issues that he had with the story ‘Oust-Duterte plot bared,’ written by the owner himself,” the younger Ang said.

“The Manila Times has a long-standing open-door policy that allows any employee to contact or visit our chairman Emeritus, especially on editorial matters. Mr. Salvosa did not object to the story to our Chairman Emeritus, nor did the former managing editor suggest ways of rewriting or handling the piece. He was merely told that copyediting of the story was no longer required as that was done by the editor-in-chief,” he added.

Ang also stood by the story, saying that his father has a reliable source, the Office of the President itself.

“Mr. Salvosa was also informed that our chairman emeritus did his own background check, using several sources, before submitting his draft for editing. There was also an effort to solicit a reaction from at least one of the names mentioned, but that could not be secured as of press time on Sunday,” he said.

The younger Ang said the story was a legitimate news item and not a public relations piece, saying his father’s appointment as special envoy has no line item or office in the government or remuneration of any kind.

“He was simply acting on his journalistic instincts, having been given an opportunity to write a legitimate story, that was later confirmed by the Palace,” he added.