This is so ridiculous…if this all wasn’t connected to the sad state of our nation, I should be laughing.

Malacañang has so many resources at their disposal…and they can’t get something as simple as a press statement correct.

Example #1: The .5M bribe offered to Lozada

As the Inquirer so astutely pointed out yesterday, the Palace offered no less 3 explanations for where the money came from. As reported in the Inquirer:

The first version had Gaite explaining in a statement that the money had come from him as some sort of personal loan to Lozada.

The second story had Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita saying the money did not come from Gaite but from a “private” anonymous donor.

With Lozada also appearing at the hearing, Gaite Tuesday told the Senate inquiry that he volunteered to give that much money out of pity after Lozada texted him at 2 a.m. on Feb. 3 saying he was in dire need of funds.

Gaite said the P500,000 came partly from his uncle and from his sister-in-law and was to be used for the renovation of his in-laws’ house. Later, he said the money was part of the P1.5 million he had advanced from his uncle, Melquiades Gaite, in exchange for a piece of land that Gaite planned to sell to him.

Example #2: GMA’s readio statement that she heard about the anomaly

On DZRH, GMA stated that she heard about the anomaly before the signing, but could not cancel the project because it would be “rude” to the Chinese government. In her words,

“Kaya itong proyektong ito, oras na may pag-uusap na may anomalya, ay agad-agad kong kinansela, agad-agad na gumawa ako ng hakbang para kanselahin.”

Apparently, 5 months (and in an atmosphere of deafening political clamour) is agad-agad.

Then, my best friend, Raul Gonzalez, stated that eventhough GMA knew about flaws, she is not legally responsible for not cancelling it right away because the flaws were not proven. Furthermore, he stated that she cancelled the project due to “political hullaballoo” and not due to any flaws.

Then, Deputy Presidential Spokesman, Anthony Golez, stated, “The President categorically denies that she said that the deal, or the contract, is flawed. It was misinterpreted. It was lost in translation.” Favila stated that he “studied” the transcript of the interview and GMA did not say the project was flawed.

Today, the Palace admitted that GMA said the word “anomalya” but the new explanation is that GMA did not say there was an anomaly, but was referring to insinuations that there might have been an anomaly. Ang labo naman.

Come on people.

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