Poe confronts GMA 7 reporter anew
Posted: 9:43 PM (Manila Time) | May 03, 2004
By Christine O. Avendano
Inquirer News Service

ALAMINOS, Pangasinan -- Fernando Poe Jr. confronted anew GMA 7 reporter Sandra Aguinaldo, this time over her story in which she said that something was thrown at the actor during a motorcade held in Imus town, Cavite province.

Poe told Aguinaldo she got her report wrong. He said it was sap from a mango that landed on his head and not anything else.

Aguinaldo, who was with a group of reporters interviewing Poe at a makeshift stage here, was asking the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (Coalition of United Filipinos, KNP) standard-bearer whether he thought religious groups would reconsider their endorsements.

"I wouldn't like to comment on that. Baka sabihin binato na naman ako (They might think that I was pelted again)," Poe told Aguinaldo suddenly.

He then referred to Aguinaldo's report last April 30 where she said Poe was hit with something during a motorcade in Cavite.

Poe told Aguinaldo that his friend, fellow movie actor Eddie Garcia who was with him during the motorcade, was trying to remove the sap from his head with a tissue paper.

But Aguinaldo told Poe that her television crew was able to capture the incident on video.

At this point, Poe's personal campaign manager Senator Vicente Sotto III told Aguinaldo they have seen the video themselves.

"Alam mo video ninyo nakita ko, pinanood ko, wala e (You know, it was your video that I saw, I watched it and I didn't see anything)" Sotto said. "Mahilig kayong gumawa ng kasinungalingan (You are fond of telling lies)."

Poe then told Aguinaldo: "Sayang naman itong interview natin kung hindi katotohanan ang ilalabas ninyo (This interview will be a waste if you will not report the truth)."

Aguinaldo tried to ask Poe to elaborate but Sotto told her to drop the subject.