UST journalism head resigns as Times editor over ‘oust Duterte’ plot story

April 25, 2019, 8:30 p.m. — THE HEAD of UST’s journalism program has resigned as managing editor of The Manila Times after the paper published a highly contested “investigative” report linking some of the country’s most respected journalists to an alleged plot to oust President Duterte.

Professor Felipe Salvosa II quit on April 24, two days after the paper came out with a front-page exclusive written by the news company’s owner, Dante Ang, who is also Duterte’s special envoy for international public relations.

“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,” said Salvosa, who began teaching journalism in 2005.

The Times’ report was based on a “matrix” alleging that journalists from Vera Files, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and Rappler were conniving with the National Union of People’s Lawyers to destabilize the Duterte administration.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo “confirmed” the matrix but could not explain how it had been put together. He told reporters it was considered validated because it came from the president himself.

PCIJ reporter Karol Ilagan, who also teaches journalism in UST, was among those mentioned in Ang’s article, which was roundly condemned as “rubbish.”

Salvosa earlier tweeted: “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.”

Ang later asked him to resign following the Twitter post, but Salvosa told the Times’ owner that he was about to leave anyway.

In a statement released by the Times on Thursday afternoon, the paper said Salvosa did not resign but was instead asked to do so.

Salvosa told the Varsitarian, however, that he was about to leave the paper even before being asked to step down.

“He behaved unethically when he posted a statement in social media without first notifying or clarifying with our chairman emeritus, Dr. Dante Ang, the issues he had with the story,” the statement read.

The statement added that Salvosa did not object to the publication of the “matrix” story nor did he suggest ways of rewriting or handling the piece.

Sought for comment, Salvosa said: “The statement stands for itself, let the readers judge it. I thank the Times for the opportunity of working for Asia’s oldest English-language daily.”

Salvosa served as managing editor since 2016, a year before he was appointed head of UST’s journalism program.

He has been a journalist for nearly 20 years, starting his career with the BusinessWorld and later, the Financial Times.

He is also the assistant adviser of the Varsitarian, UST’s campus paper.