The legal counsel of Dennis Cunanan, Atty. Iryl B. Boco, said in a statement that insinuations of Cunanan’s continued involvement in the recent controversy surrounding the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) “are misleading and incorrect.”
Atty. Boco was referring to recent reports and articles made by Rappler, casting aspersions on Cunanan’s professional integrity.
“We find it necessary to set the record straight,” he said.
The lawyer said it is unfortunate that Cunanan has been portrayed as someone facilitating the entry of POGO) into government relations.
“We do not see any relationship or connection between Mr. Dennis Cunanan’s alleged involvement in the PDAF scam through his work as the then-Deputy Director General of TLRC, and the current issues with the POGO,” he said in the statement.
Atty. Boco said Cunanan has not been affiliated with any POGO since October 2022.
He added that Cunanan’s consultancy work with the POGO sector is entirely legitimate and was done within the bounds of the law.
“Mr. Cunanan served solely as an independent consultant. His involvement was limited to providing consultancy on corporate communication and government relations services. At no point did he hold any executive or managerial position, nor was he involved in the day-to-day operations or strategic decisions,” he said in the statement.
” It would seem that the Rappler report was sensationalized at the expense of Mr. Cunanan. Mr. Cunanan’s conviction on some PDAF cases was somewhat highlighted, yet there is a glaring omission of his multiple acquittals,” he added.
The legal counsel also said,” There is likewise no seeming connection or justification for the inclusion of Mr. Cunanan’s consultancy company in the report. A more objective report would have acknowledged that the company is not solely owned by Mr. Cunanan but rather has several partners, which could also have been put in a bad light because of the article.”
Atty. Boco noted that while the report reads as if it gave Cunanan a seeming opportunity to respond, it had already gone ahead with the reporting.
“We do not see any possibility of rectification of the impressions that the report would have made,” he said, adding that media outlets must uphold the principles of balanced journalism, ensuring that all sides of a story are adequately represented before forming public opinions.
” To be clear, Mr. Cunanan does not seek apologies or retractions from the media but expects a semblance of fairness and objectivity in reporting. At the end of the day, it is imperative for journalists to uphold the principles of fairness and objectivity, ensuring that their reporting provides accurate and balanced reporting,” he said.
Originally post: https://pampanganewsnow.com/