• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Former Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano slammed as fake the statement being attributed to him regarding the encounter between government troops and New People’s Army rebels in Oriental Mindoro, blaming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the reported bombing incident.
Paduano said he was falsely quoted as supposedly accusing the Chief Executive of being “heartless” and of having used them during their time in Congress.
“These posts are clearly false, fabricated, and never came from me,” he added.
Paduano, a former House quad-committee co-chairman, said the circulating claims run counter to his long-standing record in Congress, particularly his consistent support for national defense and security.
He noted that during his time in the House of Representatives, he pushed for measures aimed at strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines and addressing insurgency.
“In my more than a decade of service as a representative in Congress, our support for the defense sector and national security has been firm and unwavering,” he stressed.
Paduano called on the public to exercise caution and critical judgement, especially on information being posted in social media. | GB
