Duterte Threatens to Break Rappler’s Pia Ranada’s Thumb If Report Gets Twisted Away From The Truth

“If you weren't keen on meddling in the affair, then why did you call Comelec chair Bautista and si Tisha Bautista po to Malacañang again to talk about this issue?”

Rappler reporter Pia Ranada most likely had no idea how things would escalate when she dared try to question President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to hear out Patricia Bautista who recently launched an expose against husband Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista.

Pia Ranada of Rappler has been a visible and vocal critic of Duterte even way before the elections last year. However, she has often been called out for twisting the news to fit her and Rappler’s political leanings, and has repeatedly been slammed by Duterte supporters and the president himself for reporting what amounts to fake news.

In answer to her latest (unethical) question though, the president said that it his his job as lawyer, as mayor, and more importantly as president to hear people out and try to resolve the conflict between complainant and respondent.

According to the president, after listening to the wife and learning that the issue involved money, he immediately called Andres Bautista to the Malacañang Palace to try and get the pair to talk over their differences. As soon as the latter arrived, the president said that he immediately backed off and away into his own room, leaving Tisha and Andy Bautista alone with each other.

Apparently though, Ranada was not satisfied with the president's explanation and proceeded to pointedly ask, "Why did you even entertain them in Malacañang if you weren't interested in the issue?" My God. The nerve of this woman.

She was then served a rich, spicy lesson on why one does not try to trap Rodrigo Duterte.

"Why should not I [sic] be interested?!" the president fired away at her despite Ranada's continued attempts at interrupting his response. 

"You have to define ME and MY WORK. What is my work? To listen to everybody. Including you if you have your problem with your husband."

PRRD then proceeds to repeat to the apparently dense Pia Ranada that he had to hear Tisha out, knowing that she is the wife of the Comelec Chairperson, but that after knowing that the problem was related to the separation of the two, he set a meeting for both, after which since no resolution was reached, the two went out on their way.

At this point, the Rappler reporter appears to have raised a thumbs-up to the president. Big Mistake.

"O? Eh? Ganun-ganun ka kaagad," mimicking Ranada's thumbs-up sign. "Let it be recorded that Pia is giving me the thumbs up. Pagbalita mamaya yan sa ano, baliktad. Gaganun (gesturing thumbs down). Bantay ka sa akin, baliin ko yang daliri mo."

BURN.

You'll need an ointment for that, Pia. 

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