Coscolluela hits back at Palafox

“HE started it!”
This was the reaction yesterday of Carissa Coscolluela as she got back at controversial urban planner Felino Palafox on claims that the Buhay party-list representative is waging “a black propaganda campaign” against him to destroy his credibility.

“He started this. Sino ba ang unang lumabas sa media at nagsalita tungkol sa isyu ng extortion sa Subic bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)?” Coscolluela asked.

“I don’t know him personally, so I don’t have a reason to launch a massive black propaganda campaign against him. In fact, I admire his reputation as accomplished person in his field of expertise,” the lady lawmaker said.

But Coscolluela said Palafox was out of line when he started to throw baseless accusations of extortion against an SBMA official, whom he has failed to identify until now.

“I felt it is unfair to the SBMA that has accomplished a lot to be put in a bad light after Palafox indiscriminately threw baseless accusations against the agency,” she said.

“He started with his accusation last year and he again came out to the media this year with the same allegation pero hindi naman niya sinasabi kung sino,” she added.

At first, Coscolluela said, Palafox said to media that a son of SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, was only nine years old then, asked for an 18 percent “commission” in exchange for the approval of his bid for a project inside the Freeport zone.

“Paano mangyayari iron? Sampung taon lang ang anak ni Administrator Arreza at kung nangyari ito last year, ibig sabihin siyam na taon lang ito noon,” she pointed to a certain “Boy Coscolluela” as the one who reputedly tried to extort from him.